Kino No Tabi Volume 4-A Beautiful World

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Kino no Tabi Volume 4

Prologue:Amidst a Crimson Seab Blooming Prairieb
Prologue:AmidstaCrimsonSeab Blooming Prairieb
A singing voice could be heard. It was a crimson world. Deep red flowers covered the surface of the ground as far as the eye could see. There was nothing, except for the expanse of blue sky. No one could be seen on the prairie. Even so, the singing voice flowed through the space of crimson and blue. It was a song which was slow yet lively. The song continued in joy and melancholy. Finally, the song ended with a beautiful, extended, highpitched note.

Soon after the song had ended, a voice could be heard calling out, Encore! Idlovetohearoneortwomoresongs,or< Orwhat?askedthevoicewhichhadbeensinging. Oryoucouldpickmeup,thefirstvoice replied. Ahaha.Iunderstand,thenjustonemore The singing voice was heard once more throughout the crimson prairie. When the song ended, the first voice asked, So,whatarewegonnadonow?

Justlikealways,letsgo somewhere,theothervoicereplied immediately. Yeah,letsdothat,thefirstvoicegladlyagreed. And continued. About time you picked me up, Kino.

Chapter 1: A LandwithaStatueAngel?
ALandwithaStatueAngel?
Once upon a time, a traveler came to a small country in a valley. The traveler who came riding a motorrad (Note: A twowheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannot fly) was looking around leisurely at the rich and beautiful farmlands and at the old and narrow historical town roads. They stopped in front of a wooden statue in the plaza. The statue simply had the appearance of a human, and it was holding a long stick in its hand. At its feet, there was a creaturewhichcantbeclearlyidentified. Theyoungtraveleraskedaresident,Whatisthis? The resident answered with a smile. Thisisthestatueofanangelwhichdescendedfromthesky a long time ago to save the country. With his club, he quickly exterminated twenty-two demons that tormented the people, and restored peace in this country. And then he came back to thesky. Angel?Descendedfromthesky?Whatsthat?themotorrad asked.
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Chapter 1: A LandwithaStatueAngel?
The resident narrowed his eyes, and answered, Its a fairy tale. It has been handed down in this country up to now
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Chapter 2: Solo
Solo
There was a beautiful grassland. The grass carpeting the ground, as well as the wild flowers, danced as a gentle breeze swept across the field. On this field was a perfectly straight road. The white road stretched out on and on and on. As to where this road leads to, it was not known. A motorrad was running on it. It was heavily loaded with luggage. The riding traveler noticed something and slowed down. It was a small child by the wayside, raising his hands. The motorrad stopped. The child spoke, Please take me with you.
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Chapter 2: Solo
Noway!Thereisnomoreroom,themotorradimmediately said. The driver asked, Wheredidyoucomefrom? The child did not answer. Whereareyougoing? The child did not answer. What isyourname? The child replied and said the same thing once more. Pleasetakemewithyou. Noway!Thereisnomoreroom,themotorradimmediately said. The traveler spoke, almost in a grunt, Icannotbeinchargeofsomebodyslife. I already have my hands full looking after myself. And so, I cannot bring you along,youshouldstopyournotionaboutit.Iamselfish<I amveryselfish.
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Chapter 2: Solo
Itisnotpossibletotravelwithtwopeopleonanyway,the motorrad chirped in. The traveler approached the child, squatted down, and while lookingatthechildsface, Goodbye,. With this, the traveler rode the motorrad and left. There was a beautiful grassland. The grass carpeting the ground, as well as the wild flowers, danced as a gentle breeze swept across the field. On this field was a perfectly straight road. The white road stretched out on and on and on. As to where this road leads to, it was not known. There, a small child has been left behind. There, a small child has been left behind forever.
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Chapter 3: ALandofTwoPeopleEvenaDogDoesntEat
ALandofTwoPeopleEvenaDogDoesnt Eat
Steprightup!Welcometoourcountry,traveler!Theguard said this with genuine enthusiasm. These are some questions we ask people entering the country. Please answer them. Its nothing serious; just write thefirstthingthatyouthinkof. By himself, the guard was waiting inside a small post in front of the gates of the tall castle walls. As soon as the traveler arrived, he immediately presented a thick packet of papers. A pen too. The traveler was slightly taken aback and stared at the papers. The traveler was in her teens. She had short, black, unkempt hair, but her face with its big eyes had a fearless look. Goggles hanged down her neck. She wore a black jacket and a wide belt with some pouches around her waist. On her right thigh, there was a holster for a hand persuader (Note: A persuader is a gun. In this case, a pistol). Inside was a revolver with an octagonal barrel. The traveler asked the guard, Just me is okay? He is also goingtobeentering.
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The traveler then pointed with her thumb to a motorrad (Note: A two-wheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannot fly) parked behind her. It was heavily loaded with a bag, a sleeping bag, and traveling luggage. Justyouisfine.Letssee<whatwasyourname? Kino,thetravelerKinospoke,andthenpointedonceagain to the motorrad. Overthereismypartner,Hermes. Pleasedtomeetyou,themotorradnamedHermesgreeted from a distance. The guard bowed in greeting. Again, welcome to our country. As for the questionnaire, Miss Kino would be good enough. It may take some time, but if you can please try to answer everything. You may use the chairandtableoverhere. Okay but< is this really a requirement for entering the country?confirmedKino. Thatiscorrect,theguardnoddedfirmly. Kino said she understood, sat on the chair, and began looking through the stack of papers.
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It asked things like name, age, sex, height, and weight. Then it asked about hobbies, favorite foods, favorite colors, tastes in music, self-conscious qualities, thinking style, and clothing preferences. Then it asked what you can see in a picture that looked like an ink spill; what kind of animal would you rather be; how you feel about watching boxing; what you think about farm work; whether you like children; wake up early; like raising pets; tend to cry when watching a play or reading a story; prefer cats or dogs; dream in color; worry about being judged by others; mind living together with elderly people; like gambling, and so on. <Sigh Although Kino sighed several times the whole time, she was able to answer all of the questions. Then she returned it to the waiting guard with a smile. Afterwards,theguardtookKinospicture,asitwasnecessary to complete the inspection papers. He took one frontal bust shot and one full body shot. She was asked to smile, but no matter how you looked at it, she had a sour look on her face. Okay,thankyouverymuch. Finally, she was granted an entry permit, and the thick and heavy gates were opened. Kino tapped awake Hermes, who was soundly sleeping.
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It was nearly sunset by the time Kino entered the country. To make matters worse, dark clouds have started to form. Kino looked for a cheap hotel and went in. Before long it was raining. Kino gave up on going out for the day. She ate a meal, took a shower, and went to bed. The next day, Kino woke at dawn break. The rain had let up. Kino did some light exercises in her room, andthenpracticedwithherpersuadercalledCanon. After having her breakfast in the hotel, Kino tapped Hermes awake. She left her luggage to the care of the hotel, and Kino decided to go out for some sightseeing. It was not a very big country. Castle walls surrounded the level land. The streets were neatly divided and lined up abundantlywithplainconcretebuildingsthatdidntseemto have any history. Itsnotaveryprettycountry,isit?saidHermes. Kino asked people walking down the street about the countryshighlights.Thereplieswereaboutthesame. What a traveler would find interesting, eh<. Well, its a verysafecountry.
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<.Thats a tough question, but if I had to say then<. That really is a tough question. The alcohol is great, I suppose. Hmm? You dont drink? Thentheresnothingreallyspecial< Theresnone.Thisisanewcountry,soitsnotverygoodfor sightseeing. Kino rode Hermes around randomly. Eventually they reached the edge of the country, and turned back. Kino decided to stop by an open street caf for some tea. As she finished her break and returned to the sidewalk where Hermes was parked, Kino heard someone shouting. Kino and Hermes turned towards the voices. In front of a ramp leading to the roadway was a young couple yelling at each other. Things quickly became violent. Whats going on? Kino said, surprised. Hermes who seemed to be enjoying himself spoke. As you can see, its a street fight. If I had to say, then the man has the advantage with the hooks he keeps on sending. But that ladys kicks are pretty good too. Ah, that left high kickjustdecidedit. Nobodyaskedforaplay-by-playcommentary< Shouldwestopthem?
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Hey, break it up. Lets just talk this out, said Kino as she approached them. Ah!Misstraveler,whatisityouintendondoing? From behind, a young police officer in uniform called out to Kino and stopped her. Yourejustintimeofficer,saidHermes. Therearepeoplefighting.Youcanstoptheminstead,said Kino. The officer shook his head. Its probably best if we leave thembe. Isthatreallyokay? Yes, there doesnt seem to be anything wrong. Besides, it looksliketheyrealreadyfinished. When Kino looked again, she saw that the fight was settled. The couple was walking away together. TheofficerwarnedKino,Misstraveler,theresonerequestI have of you. Even if you see a man and a woman fighting, you must never interfere. In this country, nobody gets involved in couples or spouses who are fighting. The fights settlebeforebecomingseriousanyways.
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Thatsreallyhowitis?Kinoaskeddoubtingly. The officer smiled and said, Even if by chance you did get involved,Imnotsureyouwouldgain anything from it. Even so, please enjoy your visit in our country. You wont find something like it anywhere else, and there are many good places.Nowthen,ifyoullexcuseme. The officer saluted and left. Goodplaces?Where?mutteredHermes. Kino had a satisfying lunch, and then she refilled Hermes' fuel tank. After a short argument, they both agreed to end the dayssightseeingandrestatthehotel. While waiting at a stop light, a voice from the car next to them called out. Hello traveler! The driver was a man in his thirties wearing glasses and a suit with a tie. Misstraveler,ifyoulike,wontyoucomeovertomyhouse forsometea?Imonmywayhomerightnow,itsveryclose. What do you say? You can meet my wife too; wed love to talkwithyouabouttravelingandourcountry.
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Were free now so why not? said Hermes. Kino nodded. She told the man that they would follow his car. The mans house was one of two-storey apartments connected side by side. The manswifecameoutoftheentrywaytogreetthem.She had long hair and a beautiful face. Thisismywife.Abeautyisntshe?Themansaidthisquite happily then kissed his wife on the cheek. Please make yourselves at home, miss traveler and mister motorrad, greeted the wife with a smile. Kino returned the greeting, and introduced herself and Hermes. The man showed everyone in, and the wife, who had stayed behind to close the door, caught a glimpse of Canon on Kinosrightthigh.Hereyesopenedwide for a moment, then shespokequietly.Misstraveler,youcarryapersuader? Hmm? Ah, if you dont like it I will put it away, Kino hastily said. The woman shook her head with a smile. Notatall,Imfinewithitasis.Travelingisdangerousisnt it?Howlongwillyoubeinthiscountry? Until tomorrow, I will probably leave in the morning, answered Kino.
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Isee<,thewomanmutteredsoftly. The man offered Kino a seat in the dining room. Hermes stood behind on his center stand. The man called his wife who was in the kitchen. Bring our guestssomethingtodrink.Thanks. Of course, sorry to leave you waiting, responded the wife with a lively tone. The man politely spoke to Kino. Welcome to my house. I dontgetmuchchance to speak with foreigners. Miss traveler, mistermotorrad,whatdoyouthinkofthiscountry? Itsboring,Hermessaidstraightaway. The man laughed, Hahaha. Youre a frank one, arent you, mister motorrad. To tell you the truth, this country is boring. Theresnobeautifulsceneryordeephistorytobefoundhere. Butitsagoodplace.Itspeacefulandthereslittlecrime.We can live our lives carefree. On my days off I always play tenniswithmyfriends.
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The woman set down a tray, and carried over a bottle and cups.Itwasalcohol.Shefilledthemanscuptothebrim.The man gave a surprised look, but then quickly emptied the glass in a single gulp and let out a gasp. His face slowly began turning red. The man asked his wife by his si de,Hey, wheresthesnacks? Ah,sorry,holdon,thewifesaidassheturnedback. At that moment, the man shouted angrily, Why am I waiting?!Itshouldalreadybeoutyouidiot! The man stood up, grabbed his wifes hair with both hands, and dragged her. Eek!Thewomanyelpedandthetwoofthemdisappeared into the next room. The sound of something being hit was heard several times. Bitch!Bitch!Stupidbitch! Themansshoutswereheard.Theslanderscontinued. Youfool!Bemore considerate! Are you trying to embarrass me?! Are you trying to be lazy?! You think people are just goingtofeedyou?!Hey!Areyoulistening?Sand! For a short moment, there was no noise. Then suddenly the mansvoicewasheard,
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Whatever, just hurry up and cook something. Make it snappy.IminagoodmoodtodaysoIllletyouoffwiththis. Nowhurryupidiot! There was a thud. It sounded like something was dropped. The man returned to the dining room completely red-faced. He sat down, suddenly looking rather embarrassed, and politely spoke. Im very sorry you had to see such an unsightly thing. She tries a little harder every time, but she canthelpbeingafool.Pleasedonttakeitagainsther,andif you can, please forgive her. Ah, thats right, miss traveler, howaboutadrink? No,thankyou,Idontdrink,Kinosaid.Herexpressionhas not changed from before. Ah,wellwouldyoulikeoneofthese?Themanofferedthe biscuits sitting on a small plate on the table. Kino thanked the man, picked one up, and put it in her mouth. At that moment, the woman came staggering into the dining room. Her hair was a mess, and she was holding the side of her forehead. She walked towards the kitchen like a ghost. Bringthetravelersometea!Hurryup!themanshoutedat her back. Staying in a good mood, the man poured himself a drink and gulped it down. He became talkative, and his tone cheery.
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Man, Im jealous of travelers! Really jealous! They travel around, going to all sorts of places.Yep.Youknow,Ivealso ridden on a motorrad before. The engine had exhaust pipes onbothsides<.Idontmeantobrag,butIwasprettygood at it too. But, to be honest I did fall over too. I was only borrowing it so I was only able to ride it a bit.Yep<*hic*!I wanted to go on a journey. Hey miss traveler, traveling must befun,eh? Kino gave the man a smile. Yes, very. You can witness the variousdifferencesineachcountryscustoms. Kinothinkssotoo,Hemesmutteredinaudibly. Thatsright! The man slapped his knee. He wobbled as he arose from his seat, and exclaimed with a smile. Differentcountries.Theressomanyofthemandyougetto tour them. Yep. It sure is nice<. You have to do it while yourestillyoung!Oops! The man started leaning forward and lost his balance. His arm hit the wife who was carrying out the food. The woman dropped the plate, and the food completely scattered on the floor. Ah!shoutedthewoman.
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Themansexpressionquicklychanged.He glared at his wife with an almost demon-like rage. What do you mean, Ah!? Hey! Stupid! Dont just stand there! The snacks are ruined! Ahhh! Youre useless! Trash! Pickthatupandeatit! Kino ate another biscuit. Themangrabbedthewomanslong hair, pulled her towards himself, and dragged her off into the next room in this state. Youstupidbitch! A number of slapping sounds were heard, and the mans jeering continued. Seriously! You cant even bring one snack to our guest! Youre useless, a burden to everyone! <Tsk! I cant believe Imevenwithsomeonelikeyou!Saysomething!Heystupid! Sand!Areyoulistening? There was silence for a moment. Yourstupiditymakesmesick!Ourguestscameallthisway! Who do you think you should thank for the food you eat? Whose money is keeping you alive? Whos working? Eh? <Forget it, Im tired from work! Im going to sleep! I want youtocleanup!Makethatfloorsparkle!Gotit? Then, the sound of something dropping was heard once more.
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The man came back to the dining room. Imverysorrytotroubleyou,misstraveler,mistermotorrad. Ill have to say goodnight here. I enjoyed our conversation. Please make yourselves comfortable. If you need anything, feel free to command my wife even though shes really useless. The man left these courteous words and entered the next room. Gettowork! The wife was dragged back out. The spot on her forehead where she was first hit has swelled. Blood was coming out from a cut on her lip. The man flung his wife on the floor as if she were garbage. The man disappeared into the room with shaky steps. Soon, his tottering footsteps were heard climbing up the stairs. Kino glanced at Hermes, and then stood up from her chair. Kino attempted to help the woman who was cleaning up the food that had fallen on the floor. Itsfine,pleasestop.ThewomanheldbackKino. Sorry,butitsallright.Pleasereturntoyourseat.
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Shes right, Kino. Theres no need for you to help her pick those up. Hermes said from behind. Kino looked at Hermes once more and sat on the chair. While restraining the blood spreading from her mouth, the woman picked up the scattered food, and wiped the floor. The woman cleared up the table, washed her hands in the kitchen, and wiped her face. Afterwards, she handed out a cup of tea to Kino. Kino thanked her as she received it. Pleasewaitforawhile. The woman left these words and went out of the dining room. The sound of climbing up the stairs, and then of climbing down, was heard. The woman returned to the dining room and sat opposite Kino. There was a conspicuous swelling above her right eye, and the blood on her lower lip has clotted. You must have been surprised<, the woman opened her mouth to speak. Well, sort of. But you see, this morning, we saw a couple relentlessly fighting right in the middle of the street. I tried to stopthem,butapoliceofficerstoppedme. Isee<
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Thiscountryisjustlikethis,isntit?Hermessaid,andthe woman nodded once. Yes. In this country, it was custom and law that couples shouldntholdbackfromeachother.Forthatreason,fighting with your spouse is not a crime as long as no one gets killed. <<<< But this isnt something to be surprised about. After all, it hasalwaysbeenlikethiseveninoldentimes. Isee,Kinosaid. Hey, why did you marry that kind of person anyway? Hermes asked forthright. The woman smiled. It was a smile of self-mockery mixed with amusement, as if she had been asked the same question many times already. Thatssotrue.IfIhadthechoice,wouldIhavemarriedsuch aman? Was he like that even before you got married? Hermes asked further, as frank as ever. No,hewasdifferent.WhenIfirstmethiminouromiai,I thought he was a wonderful and sincere man, the woman said.
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Whatsanomiai1?Kinoasked. Isthatthenameoftherestaurantwhereyouhadyourfirst date, or something? Hermes answered, and the woman shook her head. An omiai is a custom in this country, where a man and a woman who hopes to get married meet for the first time. With a mediators help, two people of similar family backgrounds and economic status meet and talk to each other to look at the possibility of a good match. If everything goes well,themarriagewillpushthrough< Then that means its possible to get married with a person youdontlove?Kinoaskedinsurprise. Yes, but thats not all<. In this country, adults who dont get married are not considered as genuine grown-ups. Men should have a family to protect. Women should stay at home andtakecareofthehousehold,thewomananswered. Hmm
Literally,lookingateachother.Youcanthinkofitastheequivalentofmatchmakingor arranged marriages in Japanese culture.

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Andsoeveryonesinahurrytogetmarriedoncetheyreach their late twenties. Perhaps they think that if they dont get married soon, they wouldnt be able to for the rest of their lives. They were afraid of never becoming genuine adults. During those times, there are many who were encouraged to attendanomiai. I see<. But, isnt marriagesomething that two people who love each other do, because they want to stay together for the restoftheirlives?Kinoasked. Yes Butthen,ifthisomiaiyourespeakingaboutisforchoosing a partner in order to get married<, doesnt the purpose defeatitself? The woman pondered for a while, and then lightly nodded. Youcanprobablyputitthatway.Butmisstraveler,resultswise,themeansofgettingapartnerdoesnthavemuchtodo with a successful married life. Things dont always turn out well even if one marries for love, and there are cases when a couple could live happily even though their marriage was arranged through an omiai. To give you an example, my parentsalsometeachotherthroughanomiai,buttheywer e able to have a happy family. I observed this as I grew up, so I looked up to my parents as my models, and it was my dream to have the same kind of family. Miss traveler, dont you agree?
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<< Butinyourcase,youhadahusbandlikethat. Hermes replied while Kino fell silent. Yes<.Before,andforawhileafterwegotmarried,wewere conscious of each others needs, and I didnt realize it. However, after living together for a while, we became too familiarwitheachother<,anditwasalready too late. Once, he noticed a little dust on the floor; all of a sudden, he got angry and hit me. At that time, I was too surprised to grasp whatjusthappened,andhecontinuedbeatingme. Uh-huh,Hermesinterjected. Since then, he would become violent over the most trivial matters. Alcohol makes him even worse. He had pushed me downthestairs,pressedhiscigaretteonmyskin<,shutme outofthehouse,thinlyclothed,rightinthemiddleofwinter. << Anything else? Hermes asked as if enjoying himself. The woman continued nonchalantly.
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Hedidallkindsofharshthingstome.WhenItoldmyold friend, she got angry and lectured me for a whole hour as to howsomethingwaswrongwithmeemotionally,andhowa womanshouldbehaveregardless of the violence you receive. Nothing was left of my belongings that I had before I got married. Everything was either thrown away or destroyed. I was keeping a cat until last year. However, while I was gone, thatpersonthrewitonthefloor<;I had no choice but to kill it out of pity. That time, he was fined for being cruel to animals. But later on, he beat me and told me it was my fault forkeepingacatinthefirstplace. << Uh-huh All of my books and study manuals were burned. He told me there was no need for a housewife to learn anything else other than housekeeping. And so I bought books on cooking and housekeeping. Then he told me that I was hopeless no matter what I do, and threw away the books, which according to him, were a wasteofmoney.Eversince,Idid nothing other than keeping the house. My life insurance was cancelled, and I almost have nothing for my personal expenses.Hetoldme:Slavesdontneedmoney,youjustdo asItellyou. Hmm.Isee,Iunderstanditverywell,Hermessaidwithan awed tone. The woman continued.
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Even so, after behaving so violently, the next morning he would be on his knees, crying and apologizing. I would also cry and think, Oh, this person is really gentle deep inside, and I would forgive him for everything. But it will happen again and again. For a while after, he wouldnt act terribly and would be kind. I would be constantly worried as to when he would be angry from my incompetence and inexperience as a wife. Perhaps, it was hisweaknessasahuman,andIm the only one who could help him with it maybe it was my mission. Such thoughts crossed my mind, the woman said and laughed. Uhm, cant you file for divorce? Kino asked. The woman had an expression more sorrowful than when she was being beaten. So you werent aware of it, huh<. What am I saying, of course a traveler wouldnt know, Im sorry. In this country, divorce is considered lowly, and no one approves of it. Either way, the only other means to end your marriageistodie. Oh,dear.Religion? No.Itsjustawidelyacceptedview,Isuppose.Itseemsthey decided a long time ago that there is nothing more disgraceful than divorce. A divorced person was not able to protect his family, and hence hes an inadequate member of society, a useless person. To avoid having such people, divorce was completely banned.
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<I see, Kino muttered in a lifeless voice, and glimpsed at Hermes. As Kino was about to say something, Miss traveler, the woman faced Kino with her lightly bruised face, and spoke with a forceful tone. Ihaveonerequestofyou< Kino looked back at the wife. She returned a silent gaze. Whatisit?IsitsomethingthatIcando? Yes.Onlyyoucandoit,misstraveler.Youcangetme out of mytrouble.Imwillingtothankyoutothebestofmyability. Itdoesntmattertomeevenifyoutakeeverythingofuseto you in this house. My request has something to do with my husband< IthinkIknowwhatscoming,Hermessaid. What isit?Kinoasked. The woman looked back once and confirmed that there was nobody else. She made a brooding expression, and with a low but clear voice, she spoke to Kino. Miss traveler, with that persuader, I want you to kill my husband.
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Okay!Shelldoit!wasHermesquickandcheerfulreply. Im sorry, please ignore what this guy says for a while, Kino corrected. Thewomansexpressiondidnotchange.ShelookedatKino. Please. Hes sleeping right now. I have the key to his bedroom. Kino lightly shook her head and spoke. To make things short,itsnotpossible.Icantdothisforyou. Oh,youwont?Hermesaskedinalighttone. Of course not. Thats murder you know, Kino said, and Hermes replied with a somewhat repulsive tone. Kino,dontyourememberhowmanypeopleyouhaveshot downuntilnow?Itsnotlikeyouhavepersuadingpowers. The circumstances are different. In this case, I can be punished by this countrys laws. Thats what I mean by murder.Idont wanttogotojailhere. Well,whatever.Whatdoesthiswifescircumstanceshave to do with you, as long as you dont die and continue to travel, Kino. Now that I think about it, its none of your business,Hermesspokewithmuchsarcasm. Uh,uhm<thewomanshylyinterjectedandspokefirmly,
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Youdonthavetoworryaboutthat.Youarenotgoingtobe chargedwithmurder. Kino looked as if she has just woken up in the middle of the day. Whatdoyoumean? Its the law. In this country, even if a person from outside the country commits a crime, if he gets out of the country within the day, no crime could be charged against him. As to why<. Well, originally, the police would desperately chase after the culprit. However, they couldnt arrest them once they have escaped outside the country. To avoid people criticizing the polices incompetence, they made a law that dismisses any illegal act committed by a foreigner. That is why no matter how many people you kill here today, you can walk out of the gates tomorrow morning without any problems. << But, Hermes tried to speak while Kino remained silent. Thewomancontinued.Imsurethereasonfortherigorous check at the gates is this law. However, if they found out that I told you about this, I will be punished<, even so, I dont care.
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Kino thought for a while, and then said, <Can I ask you one<no,twoquestions? Goahead. Ifincaseyoucouldnolongerstandyourhusbandsviolence, and you killed him, what will be yourpunishment? Death penalty. A person who kills his spouse will be charged with first-degree murder and will definitely be sentenced to death. Because the violence between husband and wife is acceptable and is not a crime, I have no legal motive to killmyhusband. <<.. My other question may be a bit strange. When your husbandsaidsand,whatexactlydoeshemean? Thewomansmiledandanswered,Hemeantsandbag.You canseeforyourselfthereasonforthatname. << But<Kino,areyoulisteningtome?Hermesasked. Iam. The woman looked at Kino pleadingly, with almost a worshipping expression. Ibegyou<,please<
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Whatwillyoudo,Kino? Kino stood up. She looked at her right thigh towards Canon, which was loaded with six bullets. And then she spoke. Letsgoback,Hermes. Iknewit. AtthesametimeasHermesshortanswer,thewomansface was filled with a look of disbelief. She kicked the chair away asshestoodupandclungtoKinosleg. Noway!I beg you! I cannot stand this sort of life anymore! You saw it yourself! You saw it, didnt you?! I was being completely battered! Miss traveler! Theres no other way! Dont you see?! This is my first and final chance! I have endured until now for a chance likethis!Canyouhearme?! Well be< leaving, Kino slowly and gently removed the hands of the pleading woman. SheremovedHermesstandandstartedtopushhimtowards the entrance. Ibegyou<.Please< As Kino passed through the door, she turned to the woman who has broken down crying on the floor.
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Thankyouforthecookies. She then faced the woman whose tears was flowing down her big, gaping eyes, and finally said, Imsorry,butIdontwanttobeaGod. Kino and Hermes went out to the street from the apartment complex. Idontfeelwell,Kinosaidshortly. Hermes spoke, as if consoling Kino. I understand how you feel, Kino. But this country has to solve its issues by itself. No matter what a traveler says or does, the people will still stick withtheirownrules.Madelinesaidso. Who?<Youmean,meddlesome?2 Yeah,that,Hermessaidandfellsilent. Its just as you say, Hermes. I understand that< all the more. I sympathize with you. Kino, youll feel better if you eat somethingsweet.Ah,Ijustknow.
Hermessayingfortheday.Hesaidnaizerukanchou,whichtranslatestoCaptainNigel, Kinocorrectswithnaiseikanshouwhichmeansintervention.Sorry,Icantthinkofabetter pun<^^;
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Kinosighed.Illdothat.Iwonderiftheyhavesomethingin thatcafwewenttointhemorning< KinostartedHermesengine.Sheputonherhatandgoggles, and rode through the street. Kino,Ithoughtyounoticed,but<,Hermessaidhesitantly while they were riding. Kinonodded.Yeah.Ididntsayanything,butthismorning, she brought out a strong alcohol and let that dish drop on purpose.<Isawit. Thatwassomefineacting.Iwasdeeplymoved. Indeed<.Therereallyaredifferenttypesofpeople. Heythere,misstraveler. The police officer they met that morning called out to Kino and Hermes. He was leisurely standing in front of the open street caf, which was just closing shop. Kino straightened her hat with a dejected face. Without responding, Kino approached the police officer. There was a strange expression in her face as she walked past the right side of the officer, completely ignoring him.
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At that moment, Kinoreachedfortheholsterinthemanship with her right hand, and drew out the hand persuader. The policeman noticed immediately, but at the same time, he felt something pushing against his back, and froze. Soon he heard a voice by his ear. Please dontmove.Youdonthavetoraiseyourhands. M-miss traveler? W-w-w-w-whatsthemeaningofthis? Nothing. However, if I pull this trigger, something really bad will happen, right? But its permissible. By the way, Ill be leaving tomorrow morning. The police officer became speechless for a moment. And then he spoke slowly. <F-from who did you hear about this? Rather, who told you? Will you tell me? I-I would really appreciate it if you do, and let me r-reportittotheheadquarters. Hermes poked fun at the officer. Kino, this person sure is dedicated to his work. How wonderful. You have my respect. Youshouldbepromotedtworanks. Kino spoke, her tone not different from usual. It doesnt mean that someone told me. I tortured someone, and he confessed to me. He told me that if I leave tomorrow, anythingIdoheretodaywouldntbeconsideredacrime.
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<< Now,canIshoot? <U-uhm,well<no.IhaveawifethatIlove.Imsayingthe truth.Idontwanttodieyet. <Isee.Then,Illbereturningthis,Kinosaid,andreturned the persuader inside its holster. The surprised police officer turned around and took a relieved breath as he saw that what was pointed on his back was only Kinos finger. He shook his head many ti mes, and took in one more mouthful of air. Afterawhile,Kinospoke.Thatsoneweirdlaw,youknow. Even though he was staring at Kino somewhat sullenly, the police officer answered with a polite tone, I agree. To tell you the truth, I was just thinking yesterday howthatlawshouldberevised. I totally approve. We might have been tempted to do something,yousee. Over-speeding, theft, kidnap for ransom, running away withoutpayingforfood< Kino and Hermes happily enumerated, and the police officer took one more deep breath.
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Dont worry. Well definitely be gone by tomorrow. We wont do anything. Also, I promise not to tell about this to anybody.<Bytheway,theresjustonequestionIwouldlike toask. <Whatisit? Whatever happens between a married couple wouldnt be considered a crime. Have there been any plans or moves to amendthatlaw?Kinoasked. What for? the police officer said, and made an expression asifhedidntcompletelyunderstandwhatshemeant. Theresnoneedforthattobechanged,isthere?theofficer said clearly. Butlookhere,misterpoliceman.Isitreallyacceptabletohit your partner for whatever reason? Hermes asked immediately. Yes You mean, it doesnt bother you? Kino asked, and the policemanmutteredasmallyes.Andthenslowly,asthough he was lecturing a child in the street, he spoke to Kino and Hermes. Ifitsjustthat,thenthereshouldbenoproblems.Theyrea marriedcouple,yousee.
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<<<< In any country, spats between married couples are unavoidable. Its impossible to get rid of that, and its unreasonableforthepolicetointerveneinsuchmatters. Evenincasesofabuse? ThepoliceofficergaveaslightnodtoKinosquestion. Yes.Well,Isupposeyoucancallitabuseifonecontinues towininacouplesfight.Evenso,thepolicecannotinterfere because that is a problem between husband and wife. No matter what, an outsider should not intervene with the problems of a couple; itwouldntmakeanydifference.Thats calledbeingmeddlesome. Beingmeddlesome,itisHermessaid. Eachpersonhastherightanddutytochoosehowheshould live. A couple was bound by marriage to cooperate with each other forever, in times of pain and illness; sharing the joys and sorrows fate would grant them; to live under one roof and look after each other. A stranger, much less the law, has no business restricting what a couple should do. Rather, nothing in this world should restrict them. <<
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Ivementioneditearlier,haventI?Immarried.Thatswhy I understand. A couple is closest to each other and loves each other the most because they live together. Still, disputes between them are inevitable. Ive said it a lot of times now, but whatever their problems may be, they have to resolve it on their own. And with that, their relationship becomes even deeper. Really?Kinoaskedverydoubtfully. Miss traveler, you would understand this once you get married. At that time, you would say, Ah, so it was really likethis,eh? << Isee,Hermesmuttered. Kino, how are you feeling? Are you in the mood to shoot someone? The police officer twitched and stiffened for a moment. Eh?!<Uhm Kino lightly tapped Canon on her right thigh, and glanced at the police officer she threatened. Then she spoke with a completely detached expression. Notreally<
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The sigh of the police officer was heard. At the same time, Kino glowered at him. Once again, he stiffened under Kinosstare.Asshesenthim sharp glares, she asked, Im looking for a shop selling sweets. Is there one around here? Evening. Kino has already gone to bed. In the house Kino visited in the morning, the man has woken up and went down to the dining room. He ordered his wife, who was sleeping prostrate on the table, to cook something. The wife asked what he wanted to eat. Anything you makes fine. It would be as bad as pig slop, anyway,themansaidgently. The woman cut meat in the kitchen and made some steak. She then carried the dish to the dining room, still in the frying pan. The woman spoke gently to the man who was seated in front of his plate. Youknowdear,theressomethingIrealizedtoday.
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The man replied disinterestedly. Whatisit,sandbag? The woman smiled, her eyes deep red from weeping out. In this world, theres no such thing as a God or a Buddha. Therefore,theresnosuchthingasmiracles.Humansshould solve their problems with their own hands. Then that means<. I was mistaken. I thought< even though I dont make any effort, everything that I wish for will go my own way<. I thought that someday, a kind fairy godmother would appear out of nowhere and grant my wishes<. My father and my mother, even though they did nothing to each other, it doesnt mean their relationship was always great. Probably<.No,Imsureitslikethat. Hmph.Youreahopelessidiotasusual.Quitsayinguseless things and serve me quick. Bring some alcohol too. I have to do some exercise after my meal so stay right there, sandbag. Idiot. Trash, the man said. The woman remained standing, holding the sizzling frying pan in her hands. Hurryup.Ordoyouwantmetohityourightnow? The man spoke without looking at his wifes face. Even so, the woman remained standing dazedly, thinking about something. The man raised an irritated voice. Hey! Even so, the woman remained standing.
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At last, the man kicked the chair and stood up. Soon a scream was heard from the dining room of a house. It was a long, high-pitched scream. It resounded in the neighborhood, but nobody paid attention. The next day. The morning of the third day since Kino entered the country. When Hermes woke up, Kino has finished loading all of her luggage. Ah,goodmorning.Areweleavingalready? KinoansweredHermesquestionwhilewipingthelensofher goggles. Yeah. Even if we stayed any longer, there wouldnt be anythinginterestinghere.<Itsadullcountry. Kino rode Hermes towards the western gate. What are you going to do? Hermes asked Kino along the way. Lets leave things as is. Theres nothing much that person candoanyway. Maybeso,butthesamegoesforyou.
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Upon arriving in front of the gates, Kino stopped Hermes. She cut the engine and got off. As she started to push Hermes into the gate, Misstraveler! Kino looked back. The woman she met yesterday was smiling and waving from a car slightly far away. The woman drove the car and stopped near Kino and Hermes. The woman quickly got out of the car and stood in front of Kino and Hermes. The bruise on her forehead was still distinctly blue in color, but she had a bright expression. Good morning. I came to see you off. Im glad I caught up withyou. Thank you<. Good morning, Kino returned the greeting with a complex expression. Still smiling, the woman tapped the car from the outside. Look,dear.Letsbidmisstravelerfarewelltogether.Quickly now. Thewomanshusbandslowlyemergedfromthe car. Anetwascoveringthemanshead,andthesideofhishead was wrapped with bandages. His left arm was in a cast hanging from his neck.
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W-what happened? Kino asked. The man did not answer. The woman laughed, slightly embarrassed. Well,last night,yousee<washeronlyanswer.Andthen shehitherhusbandsshoulder. The man twitched and his body shook. As he stood silently, the woman from behind asked. Dear.Arentyougoingtogreetmisstravelerhere? Ah, yeah<. Hey<, g-good morning<, the man chirped. The woman took out a stick from the car seat. It was a rolling pin used in kneading dough for a pie. Withthis,thewomanhitherhusbandsback. Agh! the man shrieked and twisted his body. The woman continued and hit the helplessmansbackseventimes. Whatswiththattinyvoice?Giveherapropergreeting. I-Imsorry,weretheonlywordsthemanmanagedtosay. The woman bent over and hit her husbands thigh strongly with the rolling pin. The man collapsed. He fell on his left arm and gave a shriek. Like before, Kino just looked on without changing her expression.
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Ignoring the man groveling on the ground, the woman tried to say something to Kino. At that time, Hey,misstraveler!Areyouleavingalready?A loud voice called from afar. It belonged to the uniformed police officer Kino threatened the previous day. He approached Kino with a quick gait. Hellothere.Wemeetagain.Itseemsyouregoingoutofthe country.Didyouenjoyyourstay?thepoliceman asked with a smile. Kino answered with a yes, and Hermes retorted, Very much. By the way, I see youve been tailing us since morning.Yourenotverygoodatitareyou? The policeman narrowed his eyes for a moment. Then he replied awkwardly, A-ah, well<, so you noticed, eh? Im sorry,butthisispartofmyjob<.Iamdedicatedtomywork, afterall. Ah,wellthatsfunny,Hermessaid,andtheybothlaughed. In the midst of this cheerful atmosphere, P-pleasehelpme! The man suddenly got up and shouted. He clung to the police officersfootwithhisrightarm. O-officer! Youre just in time! H-help me! T-this woman is heartlesslybeatingme!
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The policeman looked gloomily at the man. Then he turned his face to the woman. Yes.Hesmyhusband,thewomansaid. S-s-saveme!Ibegyou!Protectme!Imgoingtogetkilled! Pleasecalmdown,mister. Thepoliceofficerslowlyandgentlyremovedthemanshand. Thewomanslowlygotclosertoherhusbandsfaceandspoke with a gentle smile. Dontworry,dear.Iamnotgoingtokillyou. Eep!Themandrewbackasiftryingtoescape. Iknowaboutvitalspots.YoudorealizethatItookmedicine whenIwasnotyetmarried,dontyou? See, your wife said it herself. Mister, you have to pull yourself together, the officer said, and the man pointed at the bandages on the side of his head. Just look at the wounds she gave me yesterday! Last night she struck me with a sizzling frying pan without warning! After that, while I was collapsed, she recklessly hit me with a chairandbrokethebonesinmyleftarm!Look!
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So that was the aftermath of your fight, eh? How unmanly of you! the police officer said, making a small triumphant pose. An old man with an old woman who seemed to be his wife, snickered as they passed through. Noway<,themanmuttered.Immediately,thewifeskick connected with his flank. Guh! the man bent and pressed down on his flank. He collapsed and became quiet. The woman bowed to the police officer several times. Im reallysorry,officer.Werecausingyoutrouble. Nope,itsokay.Myjobistoprotecteverybodyssafety.Do not hesitate to approach me for the slightest concern< is what I would like to say. But the truth is theressolittlecrime aroundthatIhavesomuchfreetime,thepoliceofficersaid as he saluted and winked. Well,thewomangaveaslightlysurprisedsmile. Helpme<.Please,Illgetkilled<.Officer<,aweakvoice was heard. With a disappointed look on his face, the police officer squatted down and spoke to the man groaning on his side.
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Ok, ok. Mister, police officers do not have that much free time, you know. Please stop this notion of you getting killed. You should get along with your wife.Iftheresanyproblem, you should solve it together. You are a married couple, after all. The police officer stood up, turned to Kino and Hermes, and saluted respectfully. Misstraveler,Illhavetoexcusemyselfnow.Iapologizefor tailing you. However, I truly thank you for staying here. Ill beleavingyoutothecareofthegatesentry.Oh,thatstores rootbeerfloatwasdelicious,wasntit? Kinolightlybowedherhead.Yes,thankyouforeverything. Yourewelcome,thepolice officer said, and walked away. When the police officer can no longer be seen, the woman spoke to Kino and Hermes. Misstraveler,Iwantedtothankyou.ThatswhyIwantedto seeyou. Youwanted<tothank<me? Thewomannarrowedhereyes.Yes. Yesterday, at that time, youdidtherightthing.Thankyou. <<
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Becausethisismy<no,ourproblem,wehavetosolveitby ourselves, right? I already quit waiting for God. From here on, I will seize my happiness with my own hands. I will do my best to live honestly. Oh, right! I wanted to give you something as a souvenir to remind you of this country. Ill takeitandreturnhereimmediately,sowaithereokay? Thewomansquatted,pulledherhusbands earandbrought it close to her mouth. Dear,Illbebacksoon.Dontdoanythingstupidinfrontof misstraveler. << Answerme! Themansfacecrumpledashiswifesuddenlyshoutedinhis ear. <Y-yes.Iunderstand. Ah, hand me your wallet. Ill hold on to it from now on. I cantletyouhaveexcessstuff.Understand? <Yes The moment the man said this, the woman let go of his ear. The mans head fell on the road with a blunt sound. His eyeglasses fell off.
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The woman took out a wallet from the mans breast pocket. She lightly sauntered to a nearby store and went inside. With the same expressionless face, Kino looked on as the man slowly raised himself up. The man sat up. Blood seeped out of the bandages from his head. He looked up at Kino with a pleading, almost worshipping expression. M-miss traveler<. I-I have one request, the man spoke feebly. Whatisit? C-canyoukillthat? Whatdoyoumeanbythat? Kino asked with an extremely normal tone. The man spoke wildly while his head trembled. My wife! I-Its only in this country< where theres a law that if youre a traveler, anything you do wont be held against you as long as you leave immediately. B-but, if they foundoutthatItoldthistoyou,Iwillbepunished<,evenso, Idontcare!S-so please, with that persuader, shoot my wife todeath!Illdoanythingtothankyou! But<whatareyougoingtodo,Kino?
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Irefuse. The man looked as if he was about to cry at Kinos reply. Soon, he really did burst into tears. While hanging his head and sobbing bitterly, the man muttered. <W-why do I have to suffer like this<? Why<? I dont understand at all. Have I done anything to her for her to treat me like this? Is there any reason why my wife would suddenly become violent and attack herhusbandlikethis? Idontknow.Imsingle,soIdontunderstand,Kinosaid. Ah,themanmutteredsoftly.Hesniffledseveraltimes. <Untilnow,Ididafinejobsupportingmyfamily.Ididall that I can to do what was expected of a husband. I dismissed socializing with others, came home from work early<, set aside some time for conversation with her, stayed with her duringholidays.Ievenhadthesamehobbiesasher. <<<<
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Ofcourse,shewasprettydemanding<,butItried my best to do everything for her, even if I had to make sacrifices< because I was aiming for a harmonious married life. And so<,Ithoughtshewouldbeveryhappy<Why,whydidit turn out like this<? Theres something utterly wrong with her since yesterday. Maybe I should have her checked in the hospitalevenifshesagainstit?Ah< Until yesterday, was there anything your wife should be angryabout?Kinoasked. Idontknow<.Icouldntthinkofanything< Likepunchingherallofasuddenor something? The man slightly raised his head to Hermes question. He became slightly garrulous. Wellthats<,whenevermy wifemakes amistake,Iwould hither,butsinceshesawoman,Igoeasyonher.Ifthats Themansupperbodysuddenlycollapsed. Aagh! Hiseyeglassesflewaway.Themansfacewasscrapedonthe road. The woman who just came back pitilessly kicked away themansrightarm.
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The woman ignored her husband and handed a tiny paper bag to Kino. Here.Asouvenirfromthiscountry.Openit. Kino looked inside. Carved on a tiny iron plate was a pair of water birds that resembled wild ducks nestled close together. She showed it to Hermes. Its a charm. I thought a big one would be a bother to take withyou. Thank you very much. What kind of charm is this? Kino asked, and the woman answered with a smile. Itsforahappymarriage.ThesearecalledMandarins.Itis said that these birds live their whole life with the same partner. A long time ago, married couples with good relationships were called Mandarin couples 3 . Someday, somewhere, I wish that you would find a wonderful partner, misstraveler. <<.Thankyou<verymuch. With an indescribable expression on her face, Kino thanked the woman. And then, she pushed Hermes into the gates. She looked back once, and saw the woman striking the man several times.
This is true. In China, Mandarin ducks are regarded as a symbol of faithfulness and a happy married life.
3
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Tadah!Lookhereplease! The sentry cheerfully greeted and showed a panel to Kino across the ticket window of the guard post. Over there were photos of several men with general profiles written underneath. What<isthis?Kinoasked. Listen well! This is something originally developed in our country. A historical couple compatibility diagnostic method wecallthePerfectMatchingMethod.Afterourcalculations, we produced a list of men which would be perfect husbandmaterialforMissKino! What? Letmesee!Letmesee!Hermessaidenergetically,andthe sentry changed the angle a little for Hermes to see. When you entered the country, you answered a questionnaire, didnt you? With that, we determined Miss Kinoshereditary disposition,andjudged basedondifferent possibilities. On top of that, weve chosen men from our country who are perfectly compatible with Miss Kinos values,wayofliving,thinking,attributes,andfeelings! Whatfor?
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Theguardgrinned.Itsonlyinthiscountry.Ifyouagreeto have an interview with these men, you will be given permission to stay in our country for one month. And if you decide to marry one of them, we will grant you citizenship unconditionally. <<Thatsamazing! Kino kept silent while Hermes gleefully exclaimed. Isntit?Wow,youaresoluckyMissKino.Youdroppedin during our campaign period, purely by chance. This is such a great opportunity, dont you think? I doubt youll have a chance like this elsewhere. There are few chances for you to gettoknowsomeonewonderfulduringyourtravels,right? True, true! Thats spot on. Kino seldom meets anyone. On rare occasions, they would either be shot to death, or would escape frazzled all over. Its really thrilling to watch from below, you know. Hermes was truly enjoying this. The sentry continued. How about it Miss Kino? According to our data, 67% of single men and 82% of single women think that marriage will make them happy. However, only 43% of men and 29% of womenthinkthattheywillmeetsomeoneeveniftheydont do anything. Maybe you have to take one more look at your life, and try it out for the time being? We have data for thousands of men, and among these, we can send you about fifty files to peruse every week. We also sponsor wonderful get-together parties twice a week. Moreover, the government
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runs this system, so the national assembly hall can be used as the reception hall! There is live music from the national orchestra, and from time to time, the state leader even comes togiveaspeech! << What do you think? There was a scholar who said that humans are animals who live to support each other. There wasalsoapoetwholeftthewords,Marriageistheleastand lastformofhumaninteraction.Healsosaidthis:Marriageis halfpainandtwicethepleasure. << Dontyouthinkpeoplewhoarenotmarriedandtalkabout life are mistaken?Marriageisthegoalofahumansexistence, and marriage is just the beginning of a persons life. Everything that you do in your life before that is just in preparationformarriage.Itsjustarehearsal,youknow? << MissKino,youre still young, but if you take your time, you will be an old maid in no time! So now! Sign this contract immediatelyandfindawonderfulpartnerinourcountry! Kinopokedherfingeronthemanshead,whoslowlyraised his face. And then,
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Dont you know? Anything I do here wouldnt be consideredacrime,shethreatenedinawhisper. Have a nice trip! The guard gave her a refreshing smile and said this energetically. Then he closed the guard posts shutters in an instant. << While shaking her head several times, she climbed on Hermes and started the engine. She strapped her goggles on. Letsgo,Hermes. Isitokayifyoudontgetmarried?Hermesteased. Travelingismuchsafer,Kinoanswered. Iguessso. While riding away, Kino looked back at the towering walls and muttered, I wish you happiness.
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Chapter 4: TraditionTricksters
TraditionTricksters4
Kino and Hermes arrived in a small country. At the bottom of a mountain covered with a dense forest was the expanse of a town with a modest castle at its center. One can go full-circle around the ivy-covered walls in one afternoon walk. Kino knocked on the gates and asked the gatekeeper for permission to enter the country. The guard, who was wearing a helmet which seemed like a traditional costume, beamed upon learning that it was Kino andHermesfirsttimetovisitthiscountry. The guard talked to someone on the phone. From within the gates, the clanging of bells was heard. Ialertedthewholecountry becauseitis veryrareforu s to have guests. Its so that they can prepare for the welcoming party,theguardsaidwithasmile. Soon the gate opened, and Kino pushed Hermes inside. Upon passing through the gates, a great number of the citizens came to receive them. <<<<
4
The unabridged version of the slightly modified part 3 of episode 3 in the anime.
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And both Kino and Hermes fell silent. Thecitizenswerewearingearsontheirheads.Apairofears was sticking out of their hair, symmetrically positioned on both sides. The neatly triangular-shaped ears were exactly likeacats. Welcome!Travelerandmotorrad,welcometoourcountry! A representative of the citizens said this, and shook hands with Kino. It was a man in the prime of his life who seemed to be the leader. Above his smiling face and firmly hardened hair,darkbrowncatearswere attached. Kino and Hermes introduced themselves, and the man with thedarkbrowncatears,whowasthecountrysruler,guided them to the castle which was being used as his office. As soon as a female secretary with purple cat ears left after serving tea, the man gave a simple explanation about the country. A long, long time ago, a town was built around a castle which a certain royal family used as a summer vacation house. After that royal family perished, the citizens continued to thrive on the land.
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The population was small but they lived in utter peace. And it was a tradition from those times for the citizens to wear cat ears on their heads. The sweet nature of a person is drawn out by using these. No matter how furiously angry someone is, once we flick these ears, his anger would dissipate as if by magic, and a smile would cross his face. People long ago must have thought of this as a means of making harmonious human relations. Its a wonderful tradition, the man said warmly while shaking his ears. With very few and rare exceptions, such as changing ones hairstyle or replacing them as one grows older, the citizens were always required to wear the cat ears on their heads. There was an ancient-looking oil painting decorating the wall, featuring a gracefully smiling naked woman wearing cat ears. The man asked, Miss Kino, as you are our long-awaited guest, why dont you try and experience our countrys tradition? Whatdoyoumean?Kinoreplied. The man took out a box the size of a dictionary from under the table. He opened it and showed its contents to Kino. Inside was a set of chic black ears.
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Illlendthesetoyou,MissKino.Wethoughtyoudfeelillat easeifeveryoneexceptforyouwerewearingcatears.Wont you wear them while youre here? It has the same color as your hair, Miss Kino. Im sure they would suit you well. Of course,youarenotobligedto,but< Youshouldhaveagreedtoweartheearsifitsjustfortoday. That man yesterday really looked dejected you know, said Hermes. It was early in the afternoon of the second day. Kino was pushing along Hermes as they slowly toured the narrow townscape. All of their luggage was left in the room which they received for free. But for the time being, Kino was holding the cat ears she was given the previous day. Children waved their hands when they saw Kino and Hermes. All of them were wearing cat ears of various colors. The ears swayed cutely as they shook their heads. Arent you going to wear the ears, miss traveler? they asked innocently. In the shop where they had their meal and tea, Oh my, you have a pretty face. But everyone becomes prettier when they have the ears on, you know, a nicefigured waitress wearing wide ears said rather regretfully.
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When they visited the castle, a small child pointed his finger. Mommy.Thatpersonisnotwearingears.Shessoweird Themotherspoketothechild.Thatpersonisatraveler.She was born in a different country, so she is a bit different from us.Shedoesnthavetowearears,shegentlyscolded. Along the road, a middle-agedwomanspoketoKino.Ifyou wearthecatears,Imsureyouwillbepopularwithboys,she said. Forsomereason,theearssuitanyone,andthecharmofthe person wearing them changes. When I was young, there was a research saying that in order for you to look your best, you should look at the mirror everyday, and she furtively informed her to try this secret. That night. They opened the welcoming festival for the traveler. Soon they announced the start of the traditional cat-ear dance for the citizens. The people made a circle, bent their hands like cat paws, and hopped with the rhythmical music. Kino who was looking on comfortably, was also invited to wear ears and to participate in the dance.
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People often say that I dont have any talent for dancing. I would just end up stepping on everybodys feet, Kino politely refused. And then she added, Even so, its a wonderful dance. I was deeply moved. Im gladIcamehere. The next morning. Kino and Hermes set off after the cat-eared citizens bid them farewell. When the traveler was already out of sight, the leader removed the dark brown cat ears from his head with a somewhat regretful look on his face. The other citizens removed their own cat ears as well while the crowd dissolved. The female secretary beside the man came and took his ears and removed her own. She put them in a basket with the wordsCollectionBoxwrittenonit. The woman spoke to the man who still looked disappointed. Itsnogood,huh?Shedidntjoinin. Yeah,itsnogood<.Ringthebelltoannouncethatitsover. Ivearrangedforit.
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With this, we already have 549 wins and 233 losses. In my tenure, we had 3 wins and 8 losses<. The travelers we had for several years must have circulated rumors about this countrytoseveralothers. Indeed. Well,thatsthat.Now,whatdowedonexttime?Weshould decide quickly, or else we wont be able to prepare and practice. We have to change the painting too A motorrad was running along a road in the forest. Cat ears<, I didnt see that coming. Everyone was cute to some extent. I cannot count the number of times I had to stop myself from laughing, you know. That dance was really amusingtoo,Kinosaidwithasmile. It would be amusing if you wore them too, Kino. Im sure theywouldsuityouverywell. Well,whatever.RidingwithliesissomethingImnotgood at,afterall. And then, with an extremely serious tone, Theydidnotshowtheslightestbitofacharacterselement ofsurprise,evenifitsforthespiritofservice,dontyouthink Kino?
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Whatsthatabout<?Buttheysuredontrunoutofideas.I only heard this but<, it was said that they also wore turtle shells on their backs, attached lion tails on their bottoms, imitated how crows walk, used an intense dance as a greeting, crysuddenlywhilegreeting,atewhiletheysang<.Whatwill theydonext? Decorate their heads with crow feathers, enter a room hopping with their right leg, eat while their left hand is pointing at the sky, put on white make-up around their eyes, greetwiththumbsupandsayYay!,maybe? Yeah,thatsit.Itoo,wontgiveanyspoilers to the travelers we meet. Everyone will be happy if they get to drag someone totheirtradition. Jeez<, theres one over here too, 5 Hermes said with an upset expression to the very relaxed Kino. Now that I think about it, that traveler which came half ayearagowasaniceone,theleadersuddenlymutteredin his office.
Notsureifitsanexpression,butHermessaidsomethingtotheeffectof,Ifoverthere,theres thosepeople,rightherewehavethisperson,whichIassumedtomeanthatKinowasbeing naughty like the citizens.

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Hmm? Ohyeah.Thattime,itwas theputtingan appleon your head tradition. Really, he did it right away. He also joined in on the apple dance, the secretary replied, and the man, while looking at the ceiling, Therewerenootherswhowereaspoliteandasearnest.He evensaid,Thistraditionisgreat.Hemusthavebeenraised very well<. Ah, I wish more people like that would come, he said with profound emotion. The secretary slightly smiled as she remembered that time. And spoke. Indeed, it was a guy wearing a green sweater who came riding a buggy, wasnt it?
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Chapter 5: ALandWherePeopleDoNotHavetoWorkWorkable
ALandWherePeopleDoNotHavetoWork Workable6
Whatanice-lookingcountry. A traveler who has finished passing through the gate said this as she looked at the scenery. The traveler was around mid-teens. She had short black hair, and was wearing a long brown coat. You bet. It has been quite some time since we arrived in a modern and organized country. The immigration inspection was fully automated too, answered a motorrad (Note: A two-wheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannot fly) being pushed along by the traveler. The motorrad was loaded with traveling luggage on top and on both sides of its rear wheel. The perfect townscape spread before the traveler and the motorrad. A number of wide, orderly roads were lined up. Here and there were parks abundant with greenery. The buildings lined up at the center of the country where beautifully designed, both in outward appearance and in arrangement. The evening sun shined on this image of functionality and beauty merged into one.
The original (and of course, more detailed) version of the insert story in anime episode 5.
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Now,whatarewegoingtodo,Kino?themotorradasked. The traveler called Kino answered, Fortoday,letslookforaplacetostaythenight.Welltakea walktomorrow. Roger As the motorrad said this, a car stopped right in front of Kino and Hermes. Nobody was aboard the loading platform of the car. Please hop aboard, I will accompany you to your place of destination,amachineinthevehicleinformedthem. Kino asked for the price, and a reply came, telling them that they need not pay for anything. What do we do, Hermes? Is it okay with you to ride this thing? Idontmind.Itsprobablyfasterthanlookingforahotelby ourselves. Okay. As Kino proceeded to push Hermes into the loading platform, a crane automatically extended for Hermes to board. Afterwards, a belt and wheel stopper came out and fixed him in place.
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Hownifty,Hermessaidadmiringly. Kino climbed up and sat down. As expected, a belt automatically fastened itself on her, and the car set off. The other cars running on the wide road were evenly spaced from each other. The cars were picking up passengers. In the park, they saw children who were apparently finished playing crowding up in the cars. And then the car went towards the center of the country which was lined up with buildings. They arrived in a splendid hotel. A machine by the entrance welcomed them. They were not charged a single cent. Kino and Hermes were ushered into a tiny car, and guided to a splendid room while they were in their seats. After the machine finished its duty as a hotel boy, it expressed thanks and left the room. Whatarelaxedcountry, Kinosaidwhilehanging her coat on a chair. She was wearing a black coat underneath. A high-caliber hand persuader (Note: A persuader is a gun. In this case, a pistol) was suspended from her right thigh. Another automatic-type was attached behind her waist. Its nice not to have to do anything, huh? said Hermes. Kino spoke While taking down the luggage.
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A while ago, I heard this rumor among travelers. The machines here were so developed that there was almost nothing else for humans to do. It seems that the citizens here donthavetowork. Ohh.Then,whatdothepeopleofthiscountrydoeveryday? Singordance,perhaps? ToHermesquestion,Kinoonlytiltedherheadandsaidthat she had no idea. They might be doing something that we havent encounteredbefore.Letsgoandlookfor it tomorrow. It will befun. If you like what you see, will you immigrate? Hermes asked. The next day. Kino woke up at dawn. As usual, Kino performed her exercises as well as training and maintenance of her 0persuaders. She ate her breakfast after taking a shower and tapped Hermes awake a bit earlier than usual. Hermes complained that it was too early. Infrontofthehotel,KinowasabouttoturnHermesengine on, when an empty car came again.
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Really,wedonthavetodoanythingatall, eh? If I keep on taking it easy, my engine will get rusty, Hermes spat in a tone which was either that of admiration or complaint. When the car asked for their destination, Kino replied that she wanted to go to a place where people gathered. The machine told her that she has to be more specific. Kino thought for a bit, and spoke. A place where many of thecitizensofthiscountrygotointhemorning,perhaps. Roger.Illtakeyoutotheofficeblockinthecentraldistrict, the car said and set off. The car went through the wide road. As they approached the beautiful towering building, the number of cars running in the street increased. Upon closer inspection, men and women wearing neat suits with neckties were riding on the cars. None of them looked too cheerful. Eventually, the cars stopped and lined up in a queue in front of the building. Kino and Hermes got off. In the vicinity, other people were also getting off from their cars. They disappeared into the building with quick strides. The empty cars left and the people rode in different cars. << Kino gazed at this scenery for a while. Whatdoyouthink?sheaskedHermes.
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Peopleheadingforwork.Nomatterwhatcountry itis,the usual morning scenery involves people going to work, Hermes answered honestly. Itsurelooksthatway<,Kinosaiduncertainly. Wasnt this supposed to be a country where people dont needtowork? Thatwassupposedtobethecase< Kino looked around and called out to a middle-aged man who got out of a car which happened to stop nearby. However, Iminahurry,themanbluntlydeclared,anddisappeared into the building. Hesureisbusy,Hermessaid. Kino tried to get into the building to ask somebody. However, a machine by the entrance rejected them politely, and told them that unauthorized people are not allowed to enter. Eventually, there were no more people who were going to work. Only Kino and Hermes were left standing in the road in front of the office block.
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Whatnow?Hermesasked. Kino thought for a while, and when she was about to say something, a car stopped nearby. The door opened, and a young man came out in a flurry. The man tried to enter the building but was not allowed. He dropped his shoulders and walked, tottering along the sidewalk. Perfect.Letsaskthatguy,Kinosaid. I see, so youre a traveler, eh? the young man said in a lifeless tone. He was wearing a business suit and necktie, and was around his early twenties. Kino, Hermes and the man were in a park in one corner of the office block. They were sitting on a bench in front of a fountain. There was nobody around. When Kino tried to talk with him, he invited them out to walk a small distance to this place, where they could settle down and chat. The man summoned a machine going around the area and ordered drinks. This is our currency, he said, and passeda card through the machine. Tea in a paper cup came out. Kino received her share for free. Youwanttoknowwhatweredoinginthat building? the man said after downing half of his tea.
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Yes Weworkthere.Everyday,themansaid. Work? Yeah. I overslept and came in late so I couldnt enter the company building. What a mistake! I was careless<, the man said and then continued with a cheerful tone. Well,itstoolatetodoanythingaboutit.Fromnowon,Ill makesurenottodothesamemistakeeveragain. Butwasntthiscountrysupposedtohavemachinesthatdo everythingsohumansdonthavetoworkanymore?Hermes asked.Thatsright,themansaidsimply,andcontinued. Wedonthavetodoanylabor,butwehaveto*work+.7 ?? The man continueduponseeingKinospuzzledface. Oh, right. Hmm, I think the *work+ Im referring to mustbedifferentfromyourideaofwork.
Enclosed in brackets to indicate that the workhestalkingaboutisdifferent.
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Kinoasked,Inotherwords,the*work+youretalkingabout does not involve laboring or doing something for others, making something, selling something, or being of service to people? Thats right.Whatyousaidjust nowis anolddefinitionin this country, miss traveler. We dont have to do that sort of stuff anymore because the machines do everything already. Well, with the exception of some people who have special abilities like painting and music, most of the people like me haveto*work+ascompanyemployees. Kinonodded.Isee.Iunderstanduptothatpart.Then,what is this [work] you and everybody else do everyday? And that said,whydoyoudoit? The man made a few small nods while listening to the question. And then he answered. First, as to why, we have to earn money. It is something it has in common with the old definition. In this country, the citizens are guaranteed minimal living necessities, so money is not really necessary. We can live in a government-owned facility where food and clothing are provided until we die. But no one wanted to live a life like that of a prisoner. If we have money, we can live in a nice place, buy nice things, and eat delicious food. The more we [work], the more money we get.Afterall,itisnecessarytoearnmoneyinordertolive. Uh-huhIsee.
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And,astowhatweredoing. Yes Wereceive stress. Eh?Kinoreplied. We receive stress. To undergo physical, and more importantly, mental stimuli which are by no means pleasurable thatisthiscountrysdefinitionof*work+. The man put his empty cup beside the bench, and it was immediately picked up by a cleaning machine. The man continued.
As to what we do exactly, Ill give you an example of my [work] assignment. Since almost all citizens in this country are company employees, I believe it is the same for everybody. First, we dress up in neat clothes and go to office. We go to the company first thing in the morning and listen to the company presidents long and winding speech during the morning assembly. The speech is just made up of sentences with no particular meaning, but in any case, standing in attention and listening to it is really a pain. You could say that the way it was being delivered is a pain in itself. After that, I will be severely scolded by my boss. The reason for the reprimand will be randomly decided on by a machine. Yesterday, I was scolded for having a good time during the weekends. After that, there are various stuff<.
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Correcting errors in documents; making calculations without any real meaning; earnestly requesting something from a person whose [work] is to refuse people; understanding the bad results of our personality assessment; exchanging mutual insults with a co-worker regarding choice of clothes; bowing in shame to a person disguised as a customer< <<<<
<Fetchingunnecessarystufffromstorehousesandtakinga long time on purpose; putting them back in place and taking a long time again; and then coming back and being shouted at by your boss with words like you idiot, imbecile, moron,trash, andso on;walkingandvisitingfromhouse to house with no real purpose; riding in a bus meant for ten but contains twenty people to experience the unpleasant feeling of crowding together; playing a sport youre bad at with your boss, and praisinghimeventhoughhesjustasbad as you are; insulting female employees to the verge of sexual harassment; consuming bitter tea; photocopying once a day. In any case, there are various things. The salary you will receive will vary depending on the amount of stress you experience. The intensity of [work] and the salary of a fulltime employee which toils from morning to night during weekdays is different from that of a part-timer which works only half the day. Of course, jobs will be decided based on a persons age and experience. Experienced people receive more stress, and their tasks revolve around more important *work+.Asforme,Imstillafreshmanemployee,sotheway
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Imtreatedisnobigdeal.Iwanttobecomemoreexperienced so that I canearnmoresoon.
Kino asked the man, Uhm, since when did this *work+ systemstarted? Astowhenitstarted<,itwastherelongbeforeIwasborn.I dontreallyknowwhen. Doesnttheconditionofyourbodiesdiminishwiththiskind of [work]? Ofcourse,theresthatfactor.Becauseitsstillstressoneway or the other, once it accumulates, theres nothing we can do about it. There are people who were hospitalized due to ulcers, extreme hair loss, insomnia, hallucination, ruined skin, overeating, and so on. Some commit murder or suicide. But most of the people dont have problems, I think. Our free time is used cleverly, in letting our feelings out. During weekdays, upon getting home from [work], we drink with our buddies. No one ever complains, and everyone steadily performstheirtaskseveryday. Whystressoutyourselvesjusttoearnmoney,tobeginwith? Hermes asked. Themanshrugged,Whoknows?Idontreallyknowwhoor whensomeonecameupwithitbut,andcontinued, Ithinkitssuchawonderfulidea.
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Really? Yup.Humanscantliveincomfortalltheirlives.Ifhumans dont experience some form of hardship each day, they will become lazy and useless. It is important to have something to do in ones life. In old times, that is equivalent to working everyday in order to live, but now it is [work]. I feel that people long ago created this system because they understand this. If machines do everything for us, humans will live only a life of lethargy, and someday this country will be in ruins. The citizens are given their everyday stress, and they are given money for their efforts. Its killing two birds with one stone. Are you pleased with your life in this country? Dont you findthis*work+unpleasant? Yes, I like it. The *work+ is unpleasant at times. But, as a social responsibility, receiving stress precisely each day is a very good thing to fulfill our duties as adults. Last year, I was stillaminor,relaxinganddoingstupidthings,thinkingAh, starting next year, I too will *work+ everyday<, wear a suit and necktie each morning and go to *work+< It felt like somethingIdontwanttodo.Butnow,everydayIgettolook dignified, or rather pressured, but have this feeling of contentment at the sametime.WhenIstarted,itfeltasifIm already a full-grown man. Now that I think about it, I couldnt forget the smile on my parents faces when I received my first salary. My father told me, With this, you
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are now also a fine adult. It was worthwhilebringingyouup. ThattimeIwasreallysohappy< Uh-huh,Hermesinterjected. TheresthissayingthatIreallylike.Wearinessfrom*work+ is not the same as that from play. A night after [work] is more refreshing than a night after play. In my life, I wish to have much more nights after [work] than nights after play. Than gettingtiredeveryday fromplay,Id ratherexperience pleasant fatigue everyday from [work]. That way, I get to truly enjoy my precious leisure time. Someday, Ill get older and eventually have a family of my own. When that time comes, I will [work] with my whole energy not just for my own but for my beloved family as well. Once my family greets me with a smile, each days weariness will be blown awayallatonce.AndIll serve until retirement age. Until that time, I will do what I can above my limits. From the lowest, Ill be a department head; if I can Ill aim to be a manager, and if I feel like it, maybe I can be the company president too. That is my lifes dream. This country is a really good place because you can achieve your dreams with your own efforts becauseitgiveseachcitizenagoal,somethingtolivefor. The man looked up at the blue sky, and said this with a fresh smile. He faced Kino.
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Miss traveler, if in case, you are thinking of immigration, this country is a good choice. I am recommending it to you. There is [work] for everyone. As a middle-class citizen, your lifestyle will depend on your efforts. Immigrants are always welcome. Think about it. Yes.Thankyouverymuch,Kinosaidwithasmile. Doyouhavesomethingelseyouwouldliketoask? Kino thought for a while. Justonething.Ithasnothingtodowiththe*work+wewere talking about earlier. Yesterday, my hotel and meal expenses were free, but Im about to leave the country. When I go shopping,howwillIpayforstuffthatIneedfortraveling? Ah,Iwonder<.Indeed,ifitsonlyafewdays,guestsare not charged anything. Not many stay for too long. Since you do not have a card, it will be hard to trade in this countrys marketplace. If you go and ask the machine in a shop, I think itwillbeabletotellyoumoredetails. Isee.Thankyouverymuch. Itsonly becauseIhave afew thingsthatIneed. Isee.Well,itsabouttimeformetogohome.Illhavetotry my best again tomorrow. For today, I guess Ill just read a self-improvement book in my room. Ah, if you are going to buy things, the shopping center at the center of the country wouldbegood.
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Kino thanked him once more, and the man left. In the bench, Kino requested one more cup of tea. She drank the tea leisurely while looking at the scenery of the towering building and the empty park. What are we going to do after this, Kino? Are we going around the country? Hermes asked. While gazing straight ahead, Kino answered. Hermes,I<heardsomethingverygood< Huh? Thatpersonbefore.Iheardsomethingverygoodfromhim.I heard something valuable from his story. I feel like I just realizedwhatIshoulddofromnowon< SurprisedwithKinosseriousfaceandtone,Hermesasked. Huh? Wait, what are you planning to do? <Dont tell me youliketoliveinthiscountry,Kino. Kino looked at Hermes, and spoke as if he just said something ridiculous. Thatsnotit,andthenshecontinued,
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Weshouldgoshopping. Huh? Well, its all free right? Ammunition, food, fuel, clothes< other things that can be exchanged for high value in other countries.Thisisararechance.Letsusetodayandtomorrow tograbeverythingwecanbeforeweleave. << Kino stood up. And then she politely handed the empty paper cup to the cleaning machine. Letsgo,Hermes.Humansshouldrelaxwhenevertheycan. Today is certainly the time for that, Kino said energetically when she came back. Liketeacher,likestudent.8 Hermes whispered with deep emotion. Hmm?Didyousaysomething?Kinoasked as she pushed Hermes along. Hermes answered with his usual tone. Nothing.
Itmeanssomethinglike,ThatMasterraisedastudentlikethis.ButIrephrasedintoasimilar (modified)Englishexpression<.^_^
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Chapter 6: "ALandDividedWorld Divided
"ALandDividedWorld Divided
The road was divided into two. One climbs up a hill, continuing towards a forested highland in the north. One goes down south, extending towards the ocean which can be seen as blue from a distance. Now,Kino.Whichwaydowego?saidastationary motorrad (Note: A two-wheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannotfly).Themotorradsrearwheelwaspackedontop and on both sides with traveling luggage. Standingbesidehim,thehumancalledKinomuttered,Now thatyoumentionit< She was around mid-teens in age, had short black hair and an intrepid expression on her face. Goggles were dangling from her neck, and she was holding a brown coat in her hands. She was wearing a black jacket with a wide belt fastened on her waist. Suspended on her right thigh was a holster for a hand persuader (Note: A persuader is a gun. In this case, a pistol), and another automatic-type was attached behind her waist.
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Kino turned and looked behind her. There was the towering interior of the walls and the now closed gates. The wall disappears into an endless stretch of mountains to the north, and likewise fades into the continuously extending downward slope to the south. The enclosing walls cannot be seen. One would wonder whether the place was really inside a country or not. Phew<.Thisissuchabigcountry.Iwantamap,Kinosaid while rolling her coat. Forthemeantime,whydontwegotowardsthesea, Hermes? I have no reason in particular, but there might be someoneoverthere. Kino asked, and the motorrad calledHermesreplied,Thats finewithme. KinotiedthecoattothecarrierandstartedHermesengine. She wore her hat, strapped her goggles on and slowly went down the road heading to the sea. After some time descending down the hill, the coastline and the town came into view at the tip of the slope.
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Ahovee(Note:Hovervehicle.Afloatingvehicle)9 came flying from below. Several men were aboard its deck. It made a sudden steep turn, lowered its altitude, and moved side by side with Kino and Hermes. Areyouatraveler?Amancalledoutwithaloudvoice from the platform. Kino nodded, and the man happily made an exaggerated gesture, pointing towards the city at the end of the road. Welcome!Pleasefollowtheroadtoreachourplaceover there! Kino nodded several times and raised her left thumb. The men on the hovee waved their hands, then the hovee accelerated and went ahead. Kino and Hermes entered the coastal town. On the left side, there was a dike made to protect against the waves on the beach, and the round expanse of the sparkling blue ocean. The white houses made of stone were lined up along the slope facing the ocean. Several people who caught sight of Kino and Hermes waved their hands from their windows. The people gathered in a square by the harbor. Kino stopped Hermes as she was invited to come in. Welcome,raretraveler!Anoldmanwhoseemedtobethe chief greeted Kino.
AnotherKinonoTabiterminologylikepersuaderandmotorrad ". It's another nickname for hovercraft.
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Hello.IamKino,andthishereismypartner,Hermes.Kino removed her hat and greeted back.Hermesalsosaidhello. The old man introduced himself as the chief. He invited Kino to a roofed bench where they could sit together. She parked Hermes on his stand beside her. Everyone observed as the chief welcomed the rare visitor to the town and offered her lodgings and meals for free. Kino thanked him. TheressomethingIwouldliketoask,Kinotoldhim,and she proceeded to ask as to why there was no map in the fully automatic gates, and the reason why the road was divided. Thechiefsexpressiondarkenedalittle. Thetruthis<,rightnowthiscountryisdividedintotwo: thecoastalpartandthehighlandstothenorth. Whyisthat?Hermesasked. Well<,differences in opinion I suppose. The country is so wide, and we almost broke off. But the truth is that we just cantgetinfriendlytermswitheachother.Oh,itsso embarrassing. AndthenthechiefsuddenlyaskedKino,Bytheway,are you picky with food?
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Huh? ImaskingiftheresaparticularfoodorcuisineMissKino wouldnevereat? Kino thought for a while, and then she shook her head and said no. Oronethatyourbodyrejects? Nothinginparticular. Thechiefgrinned,Thatsgreat.Itsourcustomtoprepare unusualandluxuriousdishes,but< As if on cue, the people surrounded Kino and made inviting gestures. Everyone had excited eyes, as if in anticipation of something. The chief continued. Wheneverthereissomethingforustocelebrate,itisour custom to make extravagant meals together with everyone. For instance, to have a rare visitor like you, Miss Kino, is such an exciting event Kino understood the intention of the people, and nodded. We thank you for preparing us a welcoming celebration. Everyone, Upon hearing this, the eyes of the surrounding people glittered.
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Isee,thechiefsaidwithacomfortableandsolemn expression. Kino stood up. She looked around the people surrounding her, and faced the chief. Well,Ithinkitsworthatry. Everybody raised a cheer. Kino and Hermes were guided into a room with a good view of the sea. They came to the room that the chief used after taking down the luggage off Hermes. They were invited to a hunting tour. The hovee will go out to sea, and while in an honorary seat, they will be entertained with a view of large prey. Kino thought it was interesting and readily agreed, and asked Hermes what to do. Werefreeanyway,Hermessaid.KinopushedHermes along and went out of the room. Several hovees were lined up on the harbor. Kino went aboard a hovee with Hermes.
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The group of hovees floated lowly, and soared towards the clear and calm sea. The hovee Kino and Hermes were riding followed into the air. Anyhow,thepreywillbelarge.Itwillbeanexcitinghunt, the young man who was hired to be their guide said happily. They looked down and saw the men taking out something from the crates on the deck. Those were long and narrow tubes the length of a child. They gripped the tubes and placed them on their padded shoulders. At one end, there was a thick, cone-like protrusion attached. Thosearetoolswhichfireoffgunpowderfromthe explosive-filledtips.Theywerecalledrocketsorsomething. It seems that they were used in wars a long, long time ago to destroyvehiclesandhardobjects. Thosewillbeusedinthehunt?Kinoasked. Yes,thatsright.Thoseareimportantforcatchingtheprey, the guide answered with a laugh. At that moment, a voice camefromthedriversseat. Thereitis!Totheleft!Hepointedtotheseasurface,where a fountain of water sprayed up. The hovees scattered and approached, surrounding the fountain of water. The hovee where Kino and Hermes was riding on slightly advanced. A person leaned over from the deck and waved a flag to indicate directions.
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A big black shadow appeared and stirred under the sea surface directly below the hovee Kino was riding. It was an enormous creature. It was thick and streamlined. Its huge tail fin quietly went up and down, slowly propelling it forward. From tip to tail, it was several times the length of a hovee. Itsbig,Kinomurmured. Itsawhale.Itisthelargestcreatureintheoceans.Isthis yourfirsttimeseeingone? Yes.Ionlyreadaboutitinbooks.Evenso,itsreallybig. Soinaplacelikethis,youcandosomewhalesightseeing, eh?Hermessaid. Ah,nono.Theshowisjustgettingstarted.We will huntthat. The hovees approached it on both sides and dropped something on the sides of the whale. They dropped several pieces of cylinders the size of small packets one at a time. The packets exploded underwater. Water columns rose in succession on both sides of the whale. The muffled explosions echoed.
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The huge form of the whale twisted. As if in a rampage, its tail struck the sea surface loudly, and lifted its head high. At that moment, rockets were launched from the hovee which passed right above it. Whoosh! The rockets left a white trail of smoke, and hit the head of the whale as it emerged from the water. Its head exploded. Mixed flesh and blood scattered and fell loudly onto the water surface. Inamoment,thewhaleshugeformsquirmed,making waves on the surface. Then it stopped moving. It stopped living. The deep red seawater began to engulf its body. Great! The guide and everyone on board the hovees raised a cheer. A number of people holding ropes jumped off. They tied the whalestail to several hovees. They dragged it to shore while the bulky corpse left a trail of blood.
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The headless whale was raised on the slope for lowering ships beside the square. Cheers rose from the people who were preparing the venue. They began to take apart the body of the whale. They hauled a gigantic saw using a hovee. Soon, the harbor was stained dark with the spilled blood. It was carved into big blocks and the blocks were carried by truck to the square. Then several people cut them to smaller pieces. After they finished cutting the meat, it was divided into three portions. The chief explained to Kino. Theonesplacedbesidethetentarefortodaysfeast.Those inthetruckswillbestoredforfutureuse.Andthen, The chief pointed to the meat, bones and pieces of entrails piled high on top of a big sheet. Upon closer inspection, those were also parts meant for consumption. Thoseareeverybodyelsesshare. Whodoyoumeanbyeverybodyelse?Kinoasked. Ourcomrades,buttheyrenothererightnow.Illintroduce themlater,saidthechief,grinning. Now,everyoneletseat.
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Withthechiefsintroduction,thepeoplefilledthesquareand started the banquet. A plate was passed to Kino who was sitting nearby. Young women and rough-looking men in aprons were busy working. The chief told her that this country had good dishes, and above all, attractive people. Now,pleasehavesometoo,MissKino,thechiefurgedher. A big shrimp was placed in one big platter. Its torso was gaping open, and sliced raw flesh was placed inside. The head and feet of the dying shrimp moved and twitched from time to time, as if recalling something. Placed in another plate was a fish with only its head, backbone, and tail fin, with its beaten and minced body placed beside. Its mouth and gills, in which water will never pass again, opened and closed. Live shrimp and shellfish were placed on top of a charcoal oven. These writhed for a while, before they emitted bubbles and died. Steaks were carried in it was the meat of the whale earlier. It seemed delicious as it was not too burnt, but blood accumulated on the dish. << Kino gazed at these for a while.
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Goodgrief,Hermessaid. In her room, Kino was lying face up on her bed wearing a shirt. She let out a breath, and then spoke. Ah,thatwasdelicious< Thatwasdisgusting.Youdonthavetoeattilyoudrop, Hermes said, appalled. Kino spoke while looking at the ceiling. Ifyouwishtobeatraveler,youshouldbeabletoeatwhen itistimetoeat.Someonewrotethatinabook. Yuck Outside the room, the sun has almost completely gone down, and the color of the sky has begun to change. The sound of chairs and tables being cleaned up can be heard from the square. MissKino.Areyouawake?Avoicewasheardassomeone knocked on the door. Messagefromthechief.Wewillbedividingthesharewith ourcomrades.Wouldyouliketowatch?
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The evening sun was shining golden on the sea. Two hovees were flying on the sea surface. Kino, Hermes, the chief and a few others were riding in one of the hovees. Meanwhile, something was suspended from the other hovee. At the end of the rope the sheets containing the pieces of whale meat were wrapped together. The hovee stopped a good distance from the coast. The chief stood on the deck. Pleaseacceptthis,hesaidinashortmessage.Helowered his hands lightly. The rope on one side of the sheet disconnected, and the contents fell. The dead flesh scattered on the water. Soon, fish gathered in the place. A variety of fish, small and large, rushed and disturbed the surface of the water. Sea birds drifted overhead.
Ourcomrades,thechiefsaid. Innature,othercreaturesserveasfoodforotherliving things,justlikeus. Whilelookingleisurelybelow,So,thisistheirshare, eh? Kino said approvingly.

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The chief also looked below leisurely. Yes,theywereraisedeatingothercreatures,andinturn,get eaten by other creatures. In this ocean, our comrades live in great numbers, but never too many nor too few. Usually, we onlytakethemduringtimesofcelebration. Isee<,Kinosaid,andslowlyleanedontheedgeofthe deck. She looked at the sky to the west. The orange lump will soon be touching the horizon. They parted with their comrades, and the hovee set on its homeward journey while casting its long shadow on the sea. Evening. Kino was invited to have tea with the elders. Whatareyouplanningtodotomorrow?askedthechief,to which Kino informed them of her intention to visit the highlands to the north. And then the elders who were drinking tea suddenly exclaimed together. Youdbetterstop! Kinoaskedthemiftheressomethingdangerousupthere,but they only shook their heads. The chief spoke.
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Wellno,Idontthinkthatsthecase.Itsjustthat< The chief made a sad face. Thosepeopleareverycruel.Theyretotallyincompatible withus. Cruel,yousay?Kinoasked,andthechiefslowlynodded and spoke. However, Idontthinkitsabadideatoseeforyourself, MissKino,thecrueltyanduglinessofthosepeople. The next morning, Kino got up at dawn. As usual, she performed her body exercises, and trained with and carried out the maintenance of her persuaders. Kinowastreatedtoalavishbreakfastinthechiefshome.In addition, she received a present of dried fish. Kino thanked them politely. Kino rode up the path she went through the day before. She passed in front of the eastern gates. After climbing up the hill for a while, the town amidst the dense forests came into sight at the end of the slope. Like the day before, a hovee glided beside them.
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Areyouatraveler?amanontheplatformasked. Kino and Hermes entered the town in front of the forest. On the right side, the forest with its bright leaves has spread and engulfed the white stone houses lined up on the slopes. Several people who caught sight of Kino and Hermes waved their hands from their windows. The people gathered in a square around a wooden tower. Kino stopped Hermes as she was invited to come in. She exchanged greetings with the chief. Everyone observed as the chief welcomed the rare visitor to the town and offered her lodgings and meals for free. Kino thanked him. AndthenthechiefsuddenlyaskedKino.Bytheway,are youpickywithfood? No.Theresnoparticularfoodmystomachrejects.Also,Ido not hate stuffservedinfeasts,Kinosaidimmediately.The eyes of the residents glittered. Ohdear,Hermesmutteredoutofearshot. For the welcoming feast, they will set off to hunt a creature. Kino was asked if she would like to watch. So came the invitation, to which Kino readily agreed. She asked Hermes what to do,
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Werefreeafterall,answeredHermes.Kinopushedhim along and went aboard a hovee. The group of hovees floated lowly, and glided into the forest. The hovee Kino and Hermes were riding followed to the air. Anyhow,thepreywillbelarge.Itwillbeanexcitinghunt, the young man who was hired to be their guide said happily. Below,onthehoveesdeck,themenwereassemblingrockets similarasyesterdays. Andsuddenlyavoicecamefromthedriversseat. Thereitis!Totheright!Hepointedinbetweenthetrees, where something moved. The hovees scattered and approached, surrounding the tree. The hovee where Kino and Hermes was riding on slightly advanced. A person leaned over from the deck and waved a flag to indicate directions. A big black shadow moved on the ground directly below the hovee where Kino was riding. It was an enormous creature. An elongated nose protruded from its stone-like body. Its big ears shook, and its four fat legs slowly moved forward. From the tip of its extended nose up to its tail, it was twice as long as the hovee. Itsbig,Kinomurmured.
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Itsanelephant.Itisthelargestcreatureintheforests.Isthis your firsttimeseeingone? Yes.Ionlyreadaboutitinbooks.Evenso,itsreallybig. Soinaplacelikethis,restomitted,Hermes said in a small voice.10 Well,theshowisjustgettingstarted.Wewillhuntthat. The hovees approached it from both sides and dropped something on the sides of the elephant. They dropped several pieces of cylinders the size of small packets one at a time. The packets exploded on the ground. The ground was hollowed out, and soil rose up in succession on both sides of the elephant. The muffled explosions echoed. The huge form of the elephant trembled. As if in a rampage, theelephantsfootstepsresoundedloudlyasitfled.Itran towards the narrow spaces between the trees. At that moment rockets were launched from the hovee which passed right beside it. Whoosh!
Hermesdidsayrestomittedhintingthatthereaderalreadyknowswhatwillfollow.Used a lot (with humorous effect) in the spin-offnovel,GakuenKino.

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The rockets left a white trail of smoke, and hit the head of the elephant as it emerged from behind a tree. Its head exploded. Mixed flesh and blood scattered and fell on the ground with a wet sound. Inamoment,theelephantshugeformsquirmedandhoisted its body in a straight position. Then it collapsed to the side, creating a tremor in the ground. Then it stopped moving. It stopped living. The deep red blood began to stain the ground. Great! The guide and everyone on board the hovees raised a cheer. A number of people holding ropes jumped down. Then they tiedtheelephantslimbstoseveralhovees. They carried it in the air while the bulky corpse dripped blood along the way. The headless elephant was raised onto the space near a fountain beside the square. Cheers rose from the people who were preparing the venue. They began to take apart the body of the elephant. They hauled a large saw using a truck. Soon, the cobblestoned ground was stained dark with the spilled blood.
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It was carved into big blocks and then several people carried them to the square and cut them to smaller pieces. After they finished cutting the meat, it was divided into three portions. The chief explained to Kino. Theonesplacedbesidethetentarefortodaysfeast.Those inthetruckswillbestoredforfutureuse.Andthen, The chief pointed to the meat, bones and pieces of entrails piled high on top of a big sheet. Upon closer inspection, those were also parts meant for consumption. Thoseareeverybodyelsesshare. Everybodyelse?Kinoasked. Theyrenothererightnow. Illintroducethemlater,said the chief, grinning. Now,everyoneletseat. Withthechiefsintroduction,thepeoplefilledthesquareand started the banquet. A plate was passed to Kino who was sitting nearby. Young women and rough-looking men in aprons were busy working. The chief told her that this country had good dishes, and above all, attractive people. Now,pleasehavesometoo,MissKino,thechiefurgedher.
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A grilled monkey was placed in one big platter. Its torso was gaping open, and chopped herbs were placed inside. Its legs were pointing towards the sky it almost looked like a human baby. Placed in another plate was the boiled head of a sheep with its brain exposed. Its clouded eyes, in which light will never pass again, were scooped out and served as a side dish. A number of live chicken were carried beside the square. The necks were placed and fixed between two bars, and were immediately cut off with a small axe. The headless bodies bolted, ran about the place for a while, and died. The chief said that they will be fried and eaten later. Steaks were carried in it was the meat of the elephant earlier. It seemed delicious as it was not too burnt, but blood accumulated on the dish. << Kino gazed at these for a while. Twodaysinarow,Hermessaid. In her room, Kino was lying face up on her bed wearing a shirt. She let out a breath, and then spoke.
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Ah,thatwasdelicious< Yousurefeelgreat,Hermessaidwithahintof sharpness in his tone. Kino remained lying on the bed. Itsnotbadtoseeacountrylikethisfromtimetotime<. Evenso,Ididntknowthatsheepbrainsweresosoftand delicious.Youshouldntrejectafoodwithouttryingitfirst, afterall. Yuck Outside the room, the sun has almost completely gone down, and the color of the sky has begun to change. The sound of chairs and tables being cleaned up can be heard from the square. MissKino.Areyouawake?Avoicewasheardassomeone knocked on the door. Messagefromthechief.Wewillbedividingthesharewith ourcomrades.Wouldyouliketowatch? Two hovees were flying over the forest permeated by dusk.
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Kino, Hermes, the chief and a few others were riding in one of the hovees. Meanwhile, something was suspended from the other hovee. At the end of the rope the sheets containing the pieces of elephant meat were wrapped together. The hovee stopped a good distance into the forest. The chief stood on the deck. Pleaseacceptthis,hesaidinashortmessage.Helowered his hands lightly. The rope on one side of the sheet disconnected, and the contents fell. The dead flesh scattered on the ground. Soon, animals gathered in the place. From small ones, crows, to large carnivores, all of them ate up wholeheartedly. Ourcomrades,thechiefsaid. Innature,othercreaturesserveasfoodforotherliving things,justlikeus. While looking leisurely below,So,thisistheirshare,eh? Kino said approvingly. The chief also looked below leisurely. Yes,theywereraisedeatingothercreatures,andinturn,get eaten by other creatures. In this forest, our comrades live in great numbers, but never too many nor too few. Usually, we onlytakethemduringtimesofcelebration.
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Isee<,Kinosaid,andslowlyleanedontheedgeofthe deck. She looked at the sky to the west. The orange lump will soon be touching the far-away mountain ridges. They parted with their comrades, and the hovee set on its homeward journey while casting its long shadow on the forest. Evening. Kino was invited to have tea with the elders. Whatdidyoudoyesterday?askedthechief,towhichKino replied that she stopped by the town along the sea. And then the elders who were drinking tea suddenly exclaimed together. Thosepeopleareterrible! The chief made a sad face. Thosepeopleareverycruel.Theyliveoutinthesea,killing the cute fish and shellfish. These are taken alive, and they eat them, watching them die in cold blood. And in the end, they takethesmartandadorablewhales< Thechiefstonebecamerough.
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Andthosepeopledaresaythatourlifeofdependenceon the blessings of the forest is cruel, brutal and ruthless. They havenorighttosaysuchthing,astheythemselvesdont realize that what they are doing is the genuine form of cruelty. Wecantjustcalmlyignorethemandaccepttheircustoms. Isee.Sothatsthereasonwhyyouhavelivedapart,Kino said, and the chief nodded slowly and spoke. However,Idontthinkitsabadideatoseeforyourself, MissKino,thecrueltyanduglinessofthosepeople. The next day, that is, the morning of the third day since Kino entered the country. Kino got up at dawn. As usual, she performed her body exercises, and trained with and carried out the maintenance of her persuaders. Kino was treated to a lavish breakfastinthechiefshome.In addition, she received a present of dried meat. Kino thanked them politely. Kino departed, turning back from the grand farewell she was given. They ran through the deserted part of the country. It was already past noon when they arrived at the western wall.
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They passed through the fully automatic gates, and went out of the country. Now,shallwego?Hermessaidhappily,butKinoreplied with a lifeless voice. No.Beforethat< Hmm? Imhungry. Ah,Hermes was appalled, and let out a sigh. And with a touch of sarcasm in his voice, Why,ofcourse.Ifyoueatjustthatatnightandinthe morning,yourstomachwillbebloated. Nochoice.Idbetterroastandeatthepreservedstuffthey gaveme.Wellleaveafterthat. Kino dismounted Hermes and secured his center stand. Well,whatever.Isupposethatsbetterthanyoufaintingand fallingdownduetoanemptystomach,saidHermes. Bytheway,thefishmummyortheanimalmummy,which onewillyoueat? While groping for something inside her luggage,
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Both Kino answered flatly.
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Chapter 7: GrapesOn Duty
Grapes On Duty11
Hey,you. A man spoke all of a sudden. The one he was talking to was a teenager drinking tea in the streetsopencaf.Thispersonhadshortblackhair,bigeyes, and an intrepid expression on her face. Her black jacket was fastened with a wide belt on her waist, and suspended on her right thigh was a holster for a hand persuader (Note: A persuader is a gun. In this case, a pistol). The man who spoke was about thirty years old. He was a normal-looking man wearing neat clothes. Me? The man nodded in reply to this question. Parked in one corner of the walkway was a motorrad (Note: A two-wheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannot fly) with two boxes attached on the sides of its rear wheel. He pointed towards the motorrad. Thatsyours?Areyouatraveler? Yes.Wevebeeninthiscountrysinceyesterday,theyoung traveler said, and proceeded to introduce herself.
BudouorGrapes,likelyreferstotheold,butnotsouncommonEnglishexpressionsour grapes.
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IamKino.Thishereismypartner,Hermes. Kino, eh? Well, until when are you planning to continue doingthis?Themanstillstood,askingthetravelercalledin a sharp tone. Kinoaskedthemanwithherusualexpression.Doingwhat? Traveling on a motorrad. You seem very young, but why dont you go to school? Well, I suppose thats fine in the country you were born in, but if thats the case, why dont yougetajob? <Its hard to explain everything, you see, Kino answered with a shrug. Excuseme,themansaidshortly,andsatinfrontofKino. ThemanlookedatKino,almostglaringly,Istravelingfun? Yes Didntyoueverrealizethatyouwerewastingyourlife? << The man had a tone as if scolding a bad student, You probably find what you are doing now as fun. Now, that is. However, your actions are without consideration for
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the future. You go from place to place, looking around, wandering aimlessly.Butthatsall.Ataglance,yourefreeto do as you please. But with that, you are just playing, neglecting the duties that come with being a human. You are nothingbutarootlesswanderer. << Kino silently brought the cup of tea to her lips. The man continued. Humanshavemanydutiestheyhavetofulfill.Firstiswork. To have a regular job, and to serve other people in the country. In short, you have a duty to become a full-fledged member of society by working. Another is to get married and to have a family. To make your spouse happy, to have children, to bring them up well, and to send them out as new members of society. These are duties which humans had from the very start. Traveling, wandering, the you right now couldnt possibly accomplish these duties. Do you have any objections? Nope,Kinorepliedwithalightsmile. The man became slightly more garrulous.
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Thatswhytravelingisawasteofyourlife.Itoldyoubefore, right?YouprobablythinkImforcingthisonyou.Nottobrag, but right now, I have those qualifications. You see, I have a jobandafamilytoprotect.Thatswhy,Iwantyoutothinka little about the sort of life you have. Thats why I talked to you. Isee.Illusethatasareference. Andonemorething,saidtheman. Yes? Itwouldbebetterforyoutostopridingamotorrad. Really?Kinoaskedwithalighttone. Yeah. Motorrads are dangerous. Besides, only two people can ride on it. Its an extremely uncivilized and primitive method of transportation. Its improper for an adult, worrying and inconveniencing your family with an egotistical plaything. A car on the other hand, is an important and a must-have because it offers a reliable means of transportation. Traveling and motorrads, thats the worst combination,ever. Kino glanced over Hermes, Thank you for your concern. But I would like to continue doing this.
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Upon hearing this, the mans face slightly stiffened. He pointed at Kino, and spoke with a tone stronger than before. YoudidnotunderstandwhatItoldyouatall.Whatdoyou taketheopinionoftheelderlyfor?Justbecauseyoureyoung, you think you can go on wasting your time Suddenly the man was taken aback and his face changed color as he looked at his wristwatch. He stood up. Somedayyoullregretwhatyoudidwithyourlife!Heleft these angry words and hurried away. When the man was out of sight, Hermes spoke. What an interestingperson.Iwonderwhatmovedhimtotalktoyou? said. Oh,youwereawake.Whoknows?Maybehebearsagrudge against travelers and motorrads, Kino said. She picked up the cup of tea and spread the map with her other hand. Well, it doesnt matter. Hermes. Lets go see the temple in the southern district after I finish my tea. The person who washereearlierpromisedmethatitsworthseeing. Roger.Wellbeverybusyinthiscountry,huh?
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Yeah.Iwonderifthreedaysisenough.Theresthisfellowin the north which has skills of ancient giant creatures that I want to see. But it seems that near some stone highway, theres some awesome scenery. I also like to try their panbaked deep-sea fish, but I also want to go to this open-air concert. And then The man hurriedly ran to the entrance of a street where several stores were lined up. An aging woman, a woman around thirty, and two small children were standing by the entrance. They all glared at the man who came running. Youre late! You left the car, and made us wait for hours! The woman who seemed to be the wife, spoke to the man with a harsh tone. Sorry,Imreallysorry,themansaid,bowingseveraltimes. You should really get a hold of yourself, the wife clicked her tongue. At this moment, they heard the noisy sound ofamotorrads engine, and eventually, the traveler passed in front of them riding her motorrad. The traveler saw the man, raised her left hand in a greeting, and rode away. Whowasthat?thewifeaskedtheman.
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The man said that it was just a traveler he had a little conversation with earlier. The wife suddenly raised her eyes. Traveler?Wait,dear!Donttellmeyoustillhavethatstupid ideaofyourstogoonajourneybyyourself?thewifecross examined him. No, not at all, said the man, and shook his head and hands. Isthattrue? Itstrue,saidthemanashiswifeglaredathim.Thatsnota simplethingtodosinceIhaveafamily,andajobaswell,he added. Finethen,thewifeturnedaroundandthenstopped. Ah! Dont tell me you want to ride a motorrad? You vowednevertodothat,butifIfindoutyouresecretlyriding one,Illdivorceyou! D-dontworry.DidntIsellit?Amotorradisdangerous.Im thinking about our familys welfare, so I cant possibly be thinkingofridingone,themansaid. Hmph. Dont you dare break your promise. It will be a problem if you die. <More than that, you should work hardertohaveasalaryraise.Arentyousupposedtobuythe children nice clothes? the woman said disinterestedly, and the aging woman chimed in.
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Thats right. You promised to make my daughter happy when you married her, didnt you? If theres no hope of getting ahead, then get ahead on your own. Work two, no, three times as much to make your own wife and children happy.Thatsthemeaningofbeingafull-fledged member of society,thedutyofahumanbeing.Doyouunderstand? Yes,themansaidshortlytohismother-in-law. The wife pushed her hand luggage to the man. Then,letsgo!And get these quickly! You should serve your familyonceinawhile!Quick,quick! They entered the shopping district with the children. ButImtiredfromwork,themanmutteredandsighed. Did you say something? the wife asked without turning around,andthemanimmediatelyreplied,Nothing. The man turned his gaze towards the road. He looked at the unseen back of the traveler, and listened to the inaudible soundofthemotorradsengine. And then chased after his family in a flurry.
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Chapter 8: LandofAcknowledgementA Vote
LandofAcknowledgementA Vote
A motorrad (Note: A two-wheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannot fly) was running on a meadow with a sparse growth of bushes. The motorrad was loaded with traveling luggage on both sides and on top of its rear wheel. It was running on a road extending straight ahead, while letting its engines roar resound loudly. The reddish brown earth of the road was finely cracked due to the dry season. The driver was wearing a brown coat, the extra long hem of which was rolled up to her thighs. She was wearing a hat with flaps covering her ears and goggles on her eyes. The face underneath it was young, around mid-teens. Probably due to the glare of the sun right ahead, the driver lowered the brim of her hat a little with her left hand. Yup,Idontneeditafterall,thedriversaidallofasudden. The motorrad asked in return. What?Kino. Mycoat.Idontneeditwhileridinginthiskindofseason. Itsalittlehot,see.
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The driver called Kino opened the collar of the coat to let in some air. She was wearing a black jacket underneath. Doyouwanttostoptotakeitoff?themotorradasked. Nope,itsfine.Icanalreadyseeit.Look,Hermes. Kino pointed ahead of the road just before the horizon, at the rectangular shadows which were like rods laid down on the ground. Those were the walls of a country. Illwearjustmyjacketwhenweleavethatcountry.Thecoat will be on top of the carrier. Since it will get hotter soon, I donthavetoreplacemythinshirt,either. What about the snowsuit? I suppose you wont need it anymore?themotorradcalledHermesasked.Kinonodded. Oh,right.ThenIprobablywouldntneedthewintercapand thewintergloveseither.Afterthis,Icantaffordtocarrytoo much until the next winter.MaybeIllsellthemorexchange them for something, only I wont throw them away. I took quite a liking to them, Kino said with a slightly regretful tone. Well, it cant be helped. Humans have a talent for completely discarding things that they dontneed,youknow, Hermes said in a consoling tone, and continued.
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Occasionally youd see clumsy people, who dont throw awaythingsthattheydontneedandhavehalfoftheirrooms occupied. Therewasanauthorwhowaslikethat.Hesufferedbecause hecantthrowawayhisbooks,saidKino. The walls quickly became higher as they approached, and eventually they arrived in front of the gates. They passed through the immigration inspection by the gates. Kino was referred to a hotel. By the time they arrived, the sun has already gone down. After taking a shower and a meal, Kino rested in the lobby andlookedatthecountrysmap. Oh!Welcome,traveler!Itsniceofyoutocome! Welcome to thishotel! Kino turned around as she was called by a big, heavily accented voice. You see, I am the owner of this hotel. Well, have a seat. If theresanythingyoudontunderstandaboutthiscountry,Ill showyoutheropes.
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The man spoke loudly to the puzzled Kino. His voice echoed in the lobby. He seemed a little drunk. An employee at the reception desk overtly frowned upon this, looking at Kino. Kino introduced herself and sat on the sofa. The man sat facing her. Without waiting to be asked, the man talked about how he started the hotel by himself. In a one-sided conversation, he told her in a loud voice that right now, everything was left to the youngsters while he enjoyed a leisurely life. Kino responded agreeably, as appropriate. Misstravelermustbehereintimewiththefestival? Kino asked what he meant. Oh,soyoudidntknow?Ok!Illtellyou.First,Illtellyoua bitaboutthiscountry,themansaidandexplainedinsimp le terms. This country was a kingdom, and there was a custom that the king should be a doctor. The country has a well-founded social security system. All medical expenses are waived, and everyone receives treatment from the royal hospital. Moreover, underthekings rule, the social status of those who were working as doctors was high.
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And,theso-called festival is not actually a festival, but more of an election day. The festival is just a bonus for the election. Itsafestivalinhonoroftheelection,themansaid. Anelection,isit?Whatdoyoudecideon? The man grinned to Kinos question. Then he lowered his voice on purpose. Wedecideonapersonwhoisnotneeded.Thatpersonwill be ordered dead. You see, unnecessary things should be disposedofcompletely. The man said that this was a historically significant thing, and began to explain about the election. About 150 years ago, this country experienced a severe food crisis due to incessant poor harvests. Hunger and epidemic was widespread. The king at the time planned a mass killing as a last resort. To select the people who would die, the citizens were made to vote on a person important to them, and the country decided to kill everyone who was not chosen. Even if he himself was chosen, the king would execute it. Out of fear of the voting results, no one wanted to be unnecessary to anyone. Even though we are under such a crisis, there was no one who was deemed unnecessary
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The king was deeply moved by his peoples awareness, and was ashamed of his decision. In the end he chose to share and overcome the difficulties with everybody. Soon they triumphed over the crisis, and this idea became a trigger to create the present welfare state this country has become. Ever since, they made sure to perform an annual election with this historically significant meaning in mind. All citizens who can write shall write down the names of people important to them. Every year, everybodys name was written down. In this country, all people lived interdependently. Everyone celebrates that fact. I see<. Then, the truth is no one is actually disposed of? Kino asked. Why,ofcourse!Thatsunheardof.Weredifferentfromthe sort of crazy country who would say, Because youre unnecessary, youll have to die. Just in case, we do have equipment for the disposal, but it has never been used once. Its getting rusty there in the castle, where it serves as decoration. What do you think? Its a nice story, isnt it? Impressed, arent you! the man said, letting out a rather annoying laugh with his heavily accented voice.
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Uhmm< A man around thirty who was wearing a suit stood next to the man, and spoke to him with a slightly troubled face. Father,mayIrequestyoutobeabitmorequiet? What?! Since when did you become so important?! This is thehotelIstarted,youknow.Doyouunderstandthat?The man yelled back. The man in the suit was flustered. Yes,but Hey!Goawaynow!Gettowork!Ifyoucanslackofflikeme, you still have a long way to go. You are twenty years too early to dictate me! Im with a visitor right now! Now, manager,doyougetthat?!Whatdoyousaynow? <Yes The son did not argue anymore, and left with a bitter face. The man looked at the back of his son, and snorted. The man faced Kino again and spoke with a voice as loud as ever. Well, in the festival, everyone makes a lot of noise when they are drunk. Miss traveler, please feel free to join in. Everythingsfree,andtherearelotsofdeliciousfoodandside dishes.
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Thankyouverymuch,Kinothankedhimmeekly. After this, Kino asked if theres a place where she could exchange, or possibly sell the winter equipment that she no longer needs. Oh!themanwassurprised. Leaveittome.Tomorrow,Illasktheshopthatsuppliesthe hotel to collect your stuff for a high price, whether it be rags. Wevebeenpartnersforalongtime.Theyoughttoconsider somethinglikethat.Whenthefestivalstarts,gotomyplace. The man laughed again with his loud voice. Kinospoke.Thatsveryhelpful. Dontmentionit!Humanslivetohelpeachother!Thenthat means I just became a person important to you, miss trave ler! The man roared without regard for those around him. Kino looked around the lobby for a bit, and asked. Bytheway,amIallowedtovote? Itstoobad,buttravelersarentallowedto,themansaid. It was the morning of the second day since they entered the country.
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Kino woke up at dawn. She performed her light exercises beside Hermes, who was fast asleep. Kino trained with and maintained her hand persuader (Note: A persuader is a gun. In this case, a pistol) calledCanon. Several fireworks went off as Kino was eating her breakfast. In the road, a public announcement vehicle has been going around to broadcast, Everyone, today is the election day. Pleasedonotforgettocastyourvotes. Kino returned to her room after her meal. She opened the bag and took out the thick winter jacket and pants, the winter cap with ear covers, and the leather winter gloves. She folded them neatly and placed them on top of the desk. She gazed at these for a while, and whispered. Youwereveryhelpful.<Thankyou. Yourewelcome,saidHermes. What,soyouwereawake,Kinoturnedaroundwithasmile. Nope.Iwastalkinginmysleep.
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Really now<. Well, its almost time for you to wake up anyway,Kinosaid,andHermesrepliedwithagravetone. Thatsdifficult,youknow.Inspringonesleepsasleepthat knowsnodawn. << Kino fell silent. Whatsthematter,Kino? Youdidnotmakeamistake. Howrude. Kino and Hermes went to visit the polls. They followed the people walking down the street. The people were entering a large building surrounded by greenery at the center of the country. She received an explanation from the guards that the king serves as the director of the central hospital. Kino and Hermes were not allowed to enter, so they simply observed the entrance for a while. Forsure,yournamewillnotbewrittenthisyear.
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Oh,yourstoo. A couple holding hands teased each other. There were also people who come with their families, and ate their breakfasts leisurely on the lawn after the voting. Itssopeaceful,isntit?Hermessaid. A little past noon. Kino was having a cup of tea in the cafeteria when fireworks set off once more. Someone announced that the election was over. The results were being tabulated,andonceitturnsoutthatnoonewasunnecessary, the festival will start. Wellknowbyevening.Well,noonegetschoseneveryyear, anyway,someonesaid. Later in the afternoon, Kino and Hermes finished their sightseeing and returned to the hotel. Stalls and tables were being set up and decorated in the roads and plaza around the hotel as hastily-made preparations for the festival. Around the time the sun sank beneath the walls, the fireworks resounded for a third time. And then the public announcement vehicle broadcasted that the festival will be carried out as planned.
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The festival began by twilight. There were lights everywhere, and the town has become lively. Kino found the hotel owner and asked whether he was able toinquireaboutthesaleofherwinterequipment.Ok!Leave it to me, the man, who was considerably drunk, said in a loud voice and led Kino to a nearby store. He stormed in with a shout, and asked the shop owner how much he will take the items for. The owner gave his price. We were friends, werent we? Raise it a bit more, the man pushed his considerably unreasonable request. After arguing for a while, the man reluctantly agreed to a much too high price, with a disagreeable look on his face. See ya! Enjoy the festival, miss traveler! The man left the store with high spirits. The shop owner sent him off with impassive eyes. Kino talked to the shop owner. Thatpersonseemstoknowalotofpeople. The owner looked at Kino, Andwhenyourealizedthat,youaskedhimforassistance< thatmakesyouoneuglycustomer.Butifyoudontdosuch things, traveling would be hard, I suppose. Well, whatever. Dontworryaboutit.
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Thanks. By the way, will you please give me four of those shirts? Coming, said the owner, and wrapped the shirts in paper. Then he suddenly stopped. <Youknow,thatpersonwasnotlikethatbefore.Hestarted on his own and managed a splendid hotel, and yet he lost his wife. After he was advised by those around him to retire, he just drowned himself in alcohol everyday. But now, not only the neighbors, even his family and employees consider him a nuisance. Really, I dont want to be like that. Alive just to causetroubletosomeone,theownersaidwith a bored tone. Isee,Kinomurmuredquietly. After that, Kino slipped into the festival only to eat the food that was handed out. Then she returned to buy cheap the things that she needed. By the time she returned to the hotel, the hotel owner was in the streets, drunken, and making a lot of noise. The next day, that is, the morning of the third day since Kino entered the country. As usual Kino got up at dawn, then trained with and maintained Canon.
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After a while, Kino noticed that it was a little noisy in the streets. She looked from the window and saw a car stop in front of the entrance. Several uniformed policemen entered. Kino went down to the lobby. The son and family of the owner, dressed in pajamas, as well as the other employees were talking with the police. Kino asked a hotel boy what happened. He answered with a grim expression, Theownerisdead. ? Kino listened to his version of the story. The owner did not go home last night, but no one worried because of the festival. However, he was discovered, collapsed in a back alley this morning. He was moved to the hospital and confirmed dead. It was a heart attack, apparently. Thats why I told him to stop drinking too much<, the ownerssonsaidlifelessly,completelydazed. After this, Kino looked on as the son and the family went away with the police. He asked the boy whether there will be a funeral today.
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Theboyanswered,Nope.Toobad miss traveler, but in this country,theresnosuchthingasafuneral.Afterthefamilyis finished parting with the deceased, as early as this afternoon, theasheswillbeputinthecountrysmasscemetery<.After all, a human should exist only until thetimeofhisdeath. Around noon. Kino arranged her luggage, refilled Hermes with fuel, and departed. She was wearing her jacket, fastened with a wide belt on her waist. Canons holster was suspended from her right thigh. The coat was rolled and tied up on the carrier. They soon came to the western gate, where something like a park was spread out on the right side of the road. Big trees were planted on the ground, and here and there, benches, roofed lounges, and big stone monuments were built. Several people were gathered in one corner, busy over something. When they broke up, they went towards the direction of Kino and Hermes. One person saw Kino and calledout,Hey,misstraveler.Itwasthedeadownersson. Were finished. Its that stone monument over there. If you like< Sure
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Wehavetoreturnnow.Takecare,misstraveler. After waiting for the group to pass through the gates, Kino pushed Hermes towards the stone monument. A young man wearing a white robe and several workers who were cleaning were left behind. Doctor, well be going ahead, the workers addressed the man in the white robe. Afterwards, they collected their tools and returned to the gate. The man wrote something in his documents. He noticed Kino and spoke while his hand moved. Iamadoctor.Ihavetowritedowntheproofofburial. Isee. Kino went in front of the stone monument, took off her hat, lightly closed her eyes, and moved her mouth a little. She explained to the doctor that she stayed in the buried mans hotel. Isthatso?thedoctormurmured.Hishandstoppedandhe looked at Kino. Ah, uhmm< Im sure you are about to leave the country, and have a long way to go. But, can I have some of your time? Ijustwanttotalktoyouaboutsomething.
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Iguessitwonthurt. What?Isitaninterestingstory?Hermesasked. The doctor replied, Well, I dont know if youll find it interestingornot,butImsureitwillmakeagoodsouvenir foryourtravels.Itsaboutthiscountryswonderfulsystem. The doctor finished working on the details in the documents and closed the file. After that, he guided Kino and Hermes to the nearest lounge. The doctor suggested that Kino take a seat, and was about to sit down himself when he stopped and said that his robe will get dirty. Kino parked Hermes on the side and sat on him. Well, whats the story about? Hermes asked. The doctor smiled lightly, and spoke with a fairly normal tone. The truth is, that guy who died this morning, and was buried a while ago,waskilledbyme. KinoaskedWithoutchangingherexpression.Whatdoyou mean?
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Well, it means just that. I killed that man with my own hands. When he was carried to the central hospital this dawn, it was merely acute alcohol intoxication, but his awareness was clouded. After the treatment, we confirmed that he was ananonymous.AndsoIhadtoinjectadrugintohisIVdrip, and he died. I was slightly nervous. After all, it was the first timeIdiditonmyown. Idontgetit.Whatsananonymous?Hermesasked. Thedoctorsaid,Ah,Imsorry.Letmesee<anonymous,in this countrys medical terms, is what we call the people whose names were not written by anyone in the election. Those whose continuous existence was determined to be useless. Uhmm, are you aware of the election, and its historicalbackground? Kino nodded and spoke. But I heard that no one has been discardedfromtheverybeginninguptonow. The doctor spoke with an amused tone, All of those were lies. <Then,inreality,yougotridofpeoplebefore? Thedoctornodded.Yes.Sincethestartofthegreatfamine, there was a fair amount of anonymous. Mainly, we thin out the population with children, or useless old people. The king at the time was a person of conviction. He would do something once he decided to. But of course, public executions leave a bad taste. If his rule were to be thought of
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as a reign of terror, the rest of the people who were chosen as necessary will not be too happy. And so as not to bother anyone psychologically, we came up with the idea of disposingpeopleinsecret. Tobeexact,howdidyoudoit?Hermesasked. Its simple. Ah, did you know? The king is a doctor. He is the head of the central hospital, and all doctors are directly underhim,thedoctorsaidalittleproudly.Kinonodded. Wedoctorsperfectedavarietyofmeanstodisposeofpeople in the hospital. Once the voting results are out, the names are added to the list. On the instance that that person is brought into the hospital, he will be killed right there and then. Until thenextelection,thatis. Isee.Uh-huh Those who are seriously ill or injured will die even if you leave them alone. Those who are not will be disposed of by saying that their condition has changed suddenly and that they are to be given a drug through their IV drip. The easiest to deal with, and the most common, are traffic accidents. If the injury is not a big deal, you can reason out that they hit their head and had a brain hemorrhage. Another simple case wouldbealcoholpoisoning,thedoctorcontinued.
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However the truth is, sometimes, there are anonymous which are vigilant and leaves no openings. There are people who dont get sick or injured. In those cases, we cant do anything. We dispose of them by making up a sickness duringtheannualphysicalexaminationmandatedbylaw. Kinoasked,Andyoucontinuedtodothiseveryyear? Yes,thatsright.Ithasbecomesomethinglikeatradition.In ayear,theresabout a dozen. The people who are disposed of, thatis. Wasiteverexposed? Well, there are some suspicions<. However, even if the official cause of death is accidental, no matter how you look at it, the truth is they died because theyre not useful to anyone.Nobodywassuspiciousenoughtomeddlewithand question the cause of death. At first, the families would grieve exaggeratedly. But they are actually secretly delighted, and by the next day, no, as soon as the burial is over, theyd go about their lives afresh. They will be given their insurance punctually, and the country will answer for the burial expenses. In cases of traffic accidents, the perpetrators who unknowingly lent a hand in the disposal will be judged rather favorably. Isee. The doctor turned over the documents he was holding.
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Uhm,inthispersonscase<,ah,asexpected,therewereless votes for him in the previous year, as well as in the year before that. Recently, he was becoming more and more annoying. That he was the first to be disposed this term is purely coincidental. He was carried into the hospital just whenthedutywaslefttome.Itwasasimplecase. The doctor closed the documents. And then he let out a big breath. But,Iwasreallyprettynervous.Iwouldntknowwhattodo if he wakes up while I was doing it. But I finished it safely, wrote the medical certificate, and now the burial is also over. Again I feel that my experience as a doctor piled up. Thats why I wantedtotalkaboutthistosomeone,thedoctorsaid, slightly embarrassed. Only the doctors know about this? Or are the nurses involvedtoo? ThedoctornoddedtoKinosquestion. Onlythedoctorsandthenurses.Aftergraduatingfromthe royal university in medicine and nursing, theres a national certification exam. When you pass, there will be an audience with the king who will personally tell everything to you for the first time. Ah, actually, the disposal can only be done by doctors.
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When you learned about it for the first time, what did you think? I was< impressed. I was surprised, and there was that feeling of being deceived. However, the kings powerful words touched my heart: Ladies and Gentlemen. Useless things are not necessary. The preservation of anyone who holds value to people or to the country, and the complete disposal of the unnecessary ones is important. And you who are here now, who have the highest skills and ambition, will nowbearthisobligation.Well<,Iwasdeeplymoved< The doctors eyes moistened slightly. And then he looked at Kino, eager to speak. I was thinking, humans are supposed to live among themselves, right? And so, those who are determined to be unnecessary should not exist. They have to be discarded. This is a very natural thing. It is to build a country without waste. Its a genuine welfare program. And all of that was accomplished with only the medical field involved. Thats whyIfindthisjobveryrewarding. Kino was silent while listeningtothedoctorsstory. Was there ever a case where you failed to get rid of someone?Hermesasked. Thatsunthinkable!thedoctorsaidwithaloudvoiceashe got fired up.
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Its unforgivable for doctors and nurses to fail! We take pride in that.Iftheresachancethatapersonwillfailbecause of pressure in time and situation, then his wisdom will be complemented by a number of people with knowledge and experience.Ifapersoncantstilldoitevenwiththat,thenhe has to return his diplomaimmediately,thedoctorsaidwith a stern tone. Iwanttogainmoreandmoreexperienceinhealingaswell as in disposing. A person who saves should be certain to save,andapersonwhodisposesshouldbecertaintodispose. I want to be able tostandonmyownsoon. I see. Yup. That was quite interesting, Hermes said. The doctor was embarrassed for being slightly fired up. Thankyouforlisteningtomystory.Insidethecountry,such a thing cannot be mentioned, so now Im totally refreshed. Miss traveler, if ever your bodys condition gets bad, dont hesitate to come anytime. I will take responsibility for your care. No matter how difficult an operation is, or how long the hospitalizationwilltake,andevenifitsatraveler,wedonot take any payment. This country is proud of delivering the besttreatmentthereis. The doctor lightly shook hands and returned to the gates. Kino pushed Hermes out of the cemetery and started the engine. She looked once at the stone monument, and took off.
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<< For a while, Kino rode Hermes in silence. They went through the meadow road lined up with bushes. Eventually, Hermesspoke.Kino.Letmeguess whatyoure thinkingrightnow. Hmm?Oh,Kinosaid. Thatsamazing,ifyoucanguessit,sheadded. Hermesspokewithanairofimportance,Well<,fromthat doctorsstory,andbased onmy ownexperienceuptonow, you must be thinking like this, Ah,itsjustthat<.Idonthaveanybiginjuriesoranything, but it would have been nice to receive some medical exam in thehospital.EventhoughIhateinjections. << Kino fell silent. The motorrad ran smoothly, its wellregulated engine echoing. Hermes< Hmm? Kinospokewithasourface.Thatscorrect.Wordforword.
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Isntit?!Hermessaidhappily.Andimmediately, Ah!Whichremindsme,hesaidwithaloudvoice.What? asked Kino. Didyousellthewintergloves? Yeah,Kinonodded. But,didntyousaythatyoudontliketheglovesyouhave because they hurt, and so you would set it aside for picking up firewood or working until its all tattered? Not too long ago. << Kino suddenly hit the brakes. The rear wheel loudly stopped with a slide. Kino faced the road that she has just ridden through. She could not even see the shadow of the walls beyond the horizon. <Ididsaythat. Kino gazed at the road with a disappointed look on her face, and Hermes spoke with a perfectly normal tone. HowunexpectedofKinotomakeacarelessmistake.
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<< Kino shook her head lightly. Her face still had a bitter look. Whatnow?Arewegoingback? We cant do that, was Kinos firm answer to Hermes question. Whataboutthegloves? While looking at the direction they were heading to, and moving the front wheel towards that course, Kino answered, Someday,somewhere,Illfindareplacementforit. Isee. Letsgo. After saying this, she launched Hermes. In a moment, the spinning rear wheel kicked up dirt, and the motorrad rode away.
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Chapter 9: ATaleofExtortionBloodsuckers
ATaleofExtortionBloodsuckers12
My name is Riku. I am a dog. Ihavelong,white,bushyfur.MyfacemakesmelooklikeIm alwayshappyandsmiling,butitdoesntmeanthatIam.Im just born this way. Shizu is my master. He is a young man who is always wearing a green sweater. He lost his homeland due to some complex circumstances, and is now traveling by buggy. And I am together with him. There was a time. We stumbled upon a country in a highland covered with forests. The people used the gentle slopes as dairy farms. Between the level land at the bottom of the valley and the river was a town. There were high walls bordering the town, while the farms were surrounded by simple enclosures built from stones.
Nope, the story has no relationtovampires<^_^Thewordbloodsuckerissynonymousto wordslikeextortionist,blackmailer,parasite,etc.,andreferstopeoplewhodependor spongeoffothers.

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What a peaceful and beautiful place, Master Shizu said happilyfromthedriversseat.Hewascladinhisusualgreen sweater. Itssmallthough,asifitsonlyavillage,Isaid. Itsnotnecessarilyagoodthingforacountrytobebig.The question is, whether its inhabitants are living in happiness andcontentment,MasterShizucontinuedwitha calmtone and narrowed eyes. But there is no answer to the question of what happiness actually is. Neither is there one to the question of what is important and whatisnot. << Master Shizu, who realized that I was looking at him, suddenly laughed. Fornow,letscheckitout. He turned on the gears of the buggy. We descended the slope.
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The residents who were doing farm work noticed the buggy, and looked alarmed for a moment. Master Shizu got off the buggy. He walked closer and called out to them, but they hurriedly returned to the country. After waiting for a while, several men came. Master Shizu introduced himself as a traveler, and asked permission to enter and stay in the country. The men asked Master Shizu if he had any weapons. Master Shizu showed them his favorite sword beside the driversseat.Whenhewasaskedwhetherthiswas all that he had,MasterShizunodded.Theythenaskedhimifhedoesnt mind that they could not offer him hospitable accommodations. Master Shizu nodded once more, and they gave their approval. We were told to keep the buggy in a big storehouse near the gate, and that the reason will be explained to us later. Master Shizu hid the buggy and took his big black cloth bag. His sword was inside it. We walked after a guide and passed through the gates. Houses no higher than two floors were densely built in the entire town. The alleyways were like mazes in complexity. Master Shizu looked leisurely at these and commented on their antiquity and peculiarity. When we arrived at a place where the alleys bend back and forth complicatedly every few steps, Master Shizu remarked,
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Thisplaceisperfectforhide-and-seek. The guide only gave him a somewhat incredulous look. After walking around the town for a while, Master Shizu and I were guided to a house where the residents gather. Apparently, it wasthiscountrysassemblyhall.Therewerea number of men and women distributing tea. Master Shizu was invited to take a seat, and then they exchanged greetings. For the time being, they welcomed the visitor. A traveler, eh? Well, what do I say<, we would like to welcome you, but you have come at an inopportune time, one man said with a gloomy expression. The other men had the atmosphere fit for a funeral. There seems to be some problem<. If you dont mind<, Master Shizu said. They looked at each other for a while, and one of them opened his mouth to speak. Thievesarespongingoffourcountry.
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Their story went like this. For ages, this country had no foreign enemies; the people lived a happy and leisurely life. The country was small and had no army or police. Rare disputes were suppressed by the young men. Several years ago, a group of men riding horses came to the country. Because they were starving, they wickedly killed and ate some of the livestock. Naturally, the residents objected and defied them. However, the men who tried to stop these thieves were killed. The residents trembled in fear before the thieves. They were coerced to prepare food for the thieves who will visit once every month. If they dared refuse, the thieves threatened to rampage and destroy the country. Even if we have walls, we cannot leave behind our crops, and if the river is poisoned, we will not be able to live. In the end, we decided that if its just food, then we can abide to their wishes. We had to pick up the courage to make that bitterchoice,onemansaid. Isee,MasterShizusaidsoftly. Ever since, the thieves would come punctually each month, and leave after shamelessly taking the food.
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Because of them, there was nothing left of the food that the people kept in reserve until then. If there were to be a severe crop failure, the residents will surely starve. Everyone had to work hard day by day. This disturbed our peaceful lives greatly, and it has been tormentingourmindsrecently<,onemansaid. I understand it very well. Thank you for telling me this painfulstory,sosaidMasterShizu.Heponderedsomething for a while, and then asked, Whenwouldtheybeherenext? Tomorrow.Wehavepreparedthefood.Butwedontknow howlongwehadtoendurethis. Howmanyofthemarethere? There are always around twenty people. However, theyre all men, and all ride horses and carry persuaders (Note: a gun)<.Theydontthink anything of killing people. You too mister traveler should better be careful not to run into them during your travels. They might take away your car and kill you.
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Mister traveler, if you can, when you arrive in a nearby country, please tell them of our suffering and ask them to save us. However< there cant be any country that would send people to help a small country such as this on a whim, right?Theresnomerittoitatall<.Weunderstandthat.We have to solve our own problems. But, no matter how you look atit,whatsimpossiblecannotbedone.Itsembarrassing,but theonlythingwecanthinkofnowishowwewontsurvive without that food, one man said sorrowfully. The other residents nodded with faces of resignation. Master Shizu contemplated about something once more. And then, he told the gloomy men that he has a question. What is it? the men replied. With all attention on him, Master Shizu asked with a smile, DoyoumindifItakeanotherlookatthetown?Ihavetaken quite an interestinit. Taking a young man with him as a guide, Master Shizu examined the minute details of the town with relish. He went around, alley by alley, and confirmed the complex connections. He would come and go around the same place repeatedly.
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The women and children were looking at him curiously as if thinking, What in the world is this traveler doing? Meanwhile,I< Adog. So big and so white <waschasedaroundbythechildren. There was a plaza near the gates. Over there, the residents were stacking up boxes and sacks. The guide spoke. Thoseare<thefoodthatwillbetakenawaytomorrow. Thats a lot. I understand your worry if that much is being taken away from you. During that time, what do the residents do?MasterShizuasked. Because no one wants to get killed, everyone hides in the storage area in their basements. Nobody else goes out. Nothingshappenedyet,butiftheystarttakingwomenand children<,ah,wecantbearthethought. I see, Master Shizu said in a small voice to the man who answered with a shake of his head. That evening.
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They provided one room in the assembly hall for Master Shizu and me. It was a small room with just one bed, but Master Shizu composedly accepted his simple dinner and politely expressed his gratitude. Beholden for a nights lodging and a meal, eh? I asked Master Shizu, who started to maintain his sword under the light of a lamp. Master Shizu took ample of time conditioning his sword, and then returned it to its sheath when he was finished. I dont think its such a big deal, Master Shizu said as he looked at me. I can help these people in trouble. I dont really need any otherparticularreason.ItsalsopossiblethatImnotdoingit fortheirsake. Isee.Howareyouplanningtodoit? Illpersuadethem,wasMasterShizusshortanswer. Iasked,Idontthinkthiscountrysresidentswouldapprove of your plan without raising any objection. Its not a pretty thought, to have the residents annihilated by your meddlesomeactions,dontyouthink? Yeah, thats why Im doing this on my own accord.<However, that doesnt mean that I have already decided to do it.
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? Master Shizu looked at my face and spoke in jest, If I cant persuadethem,Illturntailandrun. And then he continued, Thats why the inhabitants of this country are totally blameless. There are things that people can and cannot do. There are things that are suited for someone likeme,andthingsthatImnotcutoutfor. I asked him one more question. Doyoulikethiscountry? Master Shizu smiled a little. Maybe The next day. All of the residents stubbornly locked themselves up in their houses since morning. The weather was good, but there was nobody walking around in the town. We were also told to stay hidden in the basement, but we did not. We stayed in our room.
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Master Shizu wore his waterproof parka with a hole on its left hip, and hung onto his neck the goggles he uses when driving the buggy. A film13 was affixed on the goggles in front of the eyes. Its roll case was attached on both sides. With a single pull of a string, he can clear his field of vision in a moment, in case it gets soiled by mud or other dirt. Master Shizu looked at the plaza from the window, his favorite sword by his side. The boxes containing food were piled up, and tied up along with it is a goat. Right before it were the gates that will be opened by the thieves. IwaslyingonmysidebyMasterShizusfeet,waiting. Probably about noon, the sound of advancing horses was heard. It was headed towards our direction. Sotheyvecome,MasterShizusaid.Ialsostoodup. Passing through the gates, the men riding horses appeared.
Film, as in a camera film. The roll case, or reel case, is that cylinder from where you pull the film out of.
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They were men of different ages, from young ones to those at the prime of their life. They were dressed in clothes which were filthy but easy to move in. On their backs were long rifle-type persuaders. One by one, they passed through the gate without any caution and climbed down their horses. The plaza, which was not so spacious to begin with, was filled with horses and men. The men raised a cheer over their reaping. Then they immediately began to load the boxes onto their saddles. Twenty-two,Master Shizu said. Asweretold,theyreallmen. Almostalloftheirpersuadersarerifles,eh?JustasIthought. Howconvenient. Willyoudoit?Iasked. Yeah,MasterShizuanswered. He strapped his goggles on and wore the sword on the belt fastened around his waist over the parka. Master Shizu walked towards the plaza while I waited by the shade of the house.
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The thieves made strange faces upon seeing Master Shizu who looked quite unusual with the parka, sword, and goggles. A number of them immediately took the persuaders from their backs and loaded them. Hello. Master Shizu spoke in a completely normal tone as he slowly approached. Among the thieves, a bearded middle-aged man who was not doing any work lightly waved his hand to his comrades. Other than a person beside the bearded man who had his rifle-type persuader ready, all the other men returned to loading the boxes on their saddles. Yo, brother. Youre not from this country, are you? the bearded man said. Master Shizu stopped from a distance, and stood in front of them. Yes,Imatraveler.Ijustarrivedhereyesterday. Whetheryouknowitornot,theseareourrightfulearnings. Dontinterfere,misterwithgogglesandsword. Im not interfering, Master Shizu immediately said, and then continued. Butwontyoulistentoonelastrequest?Iwantyoutostop troublingthepeopleofthiscountry. Huh?Didtheleadershereaskyoutosaythat?thebearded man asked.
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Nope.Imdoingthisonmyownaccord. << The bearded man looked at Master Shizu with an appalled expression for a while. Brother.Youwontlivelong,youknow. Really? With a sour expression, the bearded man admonished and threatened him. A person who gets into a fight he cannot win is an idiot. I cansayfrommyexperiencethatyouwillgetyourselfkilled. My thoughts, exactly. By the way, your answer? While saying so, Master Shizu moved his body lightly and subtly, and approached them with a half-step. Huh? Wontyoustopthis?Hetookanotherhalf-step as he spoke. << The bearded man was dismayed, and this time, he moved his fingers to shoot Master Shizu.
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The man took his persuader, aimed at Master Shizus heart, and fired at point-blank range. Master Shizu took the sheath with his left hand, held the sword grip in his right hand, and pulled off the sheath with his left. The blade which appeared deflected the bullet obliquely. Master Shizu took two steps forward, struck the man with his left shoulder, and thrust the sword deeply into his heart. While this man fell to the left, he pulled out his sword and mowed down the neck of the bearded man in front of him. As this guy fell forward, he slashed the man right behind diagonally from the shoulder. All of this took place in roughly four seconds. Blood spurted around Master Shizu in an interesting manner, making splattering sounds in the background. As a result, the waterproof parka became of use to Master Shizu. Three men down. The thieves froze in place as they witnessed this scene. They did not realize immediately what was happening. Y<y<y<yAnearbymanwastryingtosaysomething. You bastard! The words which he was finally able to spit out were his last. Soon, he was impaled through his stomach. Master Shizu ran, burst through the men who were still working, and skillfully killed each person en route. It was in complete rhythm.
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The second man, who was to the right of the first, had his windpipe gouged out with the edge of the blade. The third was disposed of with a direct attack to his chest. The fourth man, who was carrying a box, had his head and both arms severed. The box fell right below, with his arms still attached. Master Shizu made a turn while running and vigorously cut downthefifthmanstorso. As the upper half of the body fell on the ground, Master Shizu ran through the plaza and concealed himself beside a house. One guy who had fast reflexes fired at Master Shizu, but he has already disappeared and was not hit. Eight dead bodies or rather, humans who were turned into corpsesinablinktumbledintheplaza.Meanwhile, Damn! Kill him! Chase him! Son of a *****! That bastard!Thata*****e!Beathimtodeath! The thieves shouted out their feelings without reserve. I turned from the opposite side of the house, took a detour, and ran through the alleyway where Master Shizu headed. Soon, I found Master Shizu waiting in ambush in one corner of a narrow alley.
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When I tried to approach, Master Shizu lightly shook his hand, and I stood back aside. From the corner of the alley, the barrel of a long persuader peeked. Master Shizu pulled it with his left hand and thrust his blade on the throat of the man who appeared. At the same time, a stray bullet flied out and bored through the wall of a house. Didyoufinishhimoff? From theothersideofthecorner, the voices of other thieves were heard. Master Shizu answered. Yeah. Master Shizu pulled and threw down the man who exposed himself, and he vanished from my sight. Ugh! Damny! The voices of two people were heard. And then, Master Shizu returned, shaking off the blood from his sword. WhenIapproached,heaskedme,Threeguyshere,soonly halfofthemareleft? I nodded.
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Master Shizu ran through the alley without making any sound, and I followed. We stopped when we crossed a somewhat wide alley. We heard voices from the direction of the plaza. Someonefired. Didtheykillhim? I lowered my nose and peeked. I saw three men coming towards our direction with their persuaders poised and bodies in half-crouching position. I informed Master Shizu the number of opponents. He waited for a while, and after matching the timing, lightly poked his feet behind me. I jumped out. Wha! A man was surprised and aimed his persuader towards me. I leaped to the opposite side. Damn,itsadog. Dontscareuslikethat!
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The men approached. Then, Master Shizu jumped out, passed through the man up front, beheading him. Before he could react, a fountain of blood spewed forth from his neck. Immediately after, the man behind received a blow on his chinfromMasterShizusleftelbow.MasterShizumovedhis right arm longitudinally, moving his sword the same way, piercing throughthemansflank. Bastard! The last man turned his hand persuader towards Master Shizu. Master Shizu threw down the man who would soon becomeacorpsewithhislefthand. The man extended his arms and fired. It was too close. Master Shizu stepped up front to the right, and simply moved away from the line of fire. The man raised the persuader with both hands, and as he lifted it neck-high it fell in front of him. Eh? The man looked at his arms. They have become shorter. Blood curiously spurted out from them in rhythm with his heartbeat.MasterShizugraspedthemanscollarandstepped away from the corner I was in. Ah? Ah? Ah?
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The man noisily flapped his arms,asifplayingotedama14 At that moment, I saw Master Shizus shadow, about two feet away from the man, aiming. Whoosh! Boom. There was the sound of a bullet cutting through the air, followed by the sound of a head exploding. Half of the head of the man Master Shizu grabbed vanished. He slightly dragged and flung the sacrifice, and went back to my corner. Immediately, he fired several bullets onto the wall. Justeightleft. Master Shizu made a little run and proceeded to the interior of the alley. On the way, he pulled the string of his goggles and cleared the visor which has become dirty with blood. He also wiped off a piece of brain that splattered on his cheek. Master Shizu, and me who was following behind, came to the place where the alleys bend back and forth complicatedly every few steps. Master Shizu deliberately flapped his parka and dropped blood all over the place. He went to and fro the same place. And then he set his back against the wall of a house in a corner and quietly waited. After some time, voices echoing from the walls were heard.
AtraditionalJapanesechildrensgame,wheresmallbeanbagsaretossedandjuggled,usually accompanied with singing.
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Hey,letsgetouttahere.Thebossisalreadydead. Areyougoingtoletitend likethis?!Letsbeat thatguy to death! But Shutup! The two men approached noisily. Master Shizu waited in silence. The footsteps came closer. The men were drawn in by the bloodstains. They went towards three more in the opposite direction. Master Shizu jumped out. He confirmed the alley the two went into in one glance, and gave chase. I followed. He caught up with the two as they turned around a bend. Master Shizu joined them from behind as if the three of them were comrades. Master Shizu quietly turned one of the men before him from the back with his left hand. He covered his mouth and pierced his flank. He released the man who died silently, and did the same thing to the second man. Sixmore.
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Master Shizu escaped the alley which was perfect for hideand-seek, and nimbly ran through the town while checking both sides. Master Shizu stopped all of a sudden, and I collided with his back. Someonespoke.Damn,anotherdeadend. Overhere. I heard noisy running steps and impatient voices. Master Shizu ran towards the direction of the voices. The two men ran towards the plaza. Master Shizu deliberately showed himself, and called out from behind the two with a big voice. Areyoudone? Y-youbastard! One man was surprised, turned around and opened fire. The amateur shot completely missed. As if making fun of him, Master Shizu backed away a little from the aim of the second bullet. Master Shizu gestured at me, and disappeared to the back of the alley.
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The man who fired, still poising his persuader, came towards my direction. The man behind pulled his shoulder, and stopped him. Dontchasehimanymore! But! Dontyougetit?Theresnousegettingkilledinbattlehere. Letsbackoffnow! the man behind said coolly. He was right. The alleyways which could only fit one person were all memorized by Master Shizu, and he can win over them by silently laying ambush. The long persuaders they were wielding are a disadvantage in this kind of battlefield. While I was thinking about this, Master Shizu, who took a detour from the back alley, jumped out and cut off the head of the calm man. While the other man was surprised by the shower of blood before him, the blade thrust right through his heart. Fourleft,eh? Theyrenotnearby,IansweredwhilechasingafterMaster Shizu. Itwillbebadiftheygetaway.
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Master Shizu ran to the gate where the men entered. He spied on the plaza from the shadow of the house nearest the gate. On the plaza where the corpses stumbled and the horses were standing, there were four people. Three of them were forcibly piling up the food on their horses. They were trying to drag the stubborn goat. One person shouted. Hey! Are you trying to get away by yourselves?!Hetriedtopullanearbymanfromhishorse. Shut up! The man pulled out his revolver and fired. Two shots to the chest. Threeleft,MasterShizusaid. Immediately, one of the other men rode his horse towards the gate. Master Shizu, who considered passing through my side, backed down a few steps. And then he ran towards the house. Hup! Master Shizu climbed up the wall, scaled it in a moment, and extended his right hand horizontally. His sword grazed the horsesearandhittheridersthroat,andthenhejumpedoff to the other side. Master Shizu landed. The headless horseman rode for a short distance, but soon the horse stopped and he fell over.
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Two more, Master Shizu said, and slowly came out from the corner. Those two were finished loading up their horses, and was about to straddle them. They stopped as they saw the flying head of their comrade and Master Shizu appearing without hesitation. Master Shizu walked towards the plaza as if taking a stroll. I separated myself from him a bit. D-die! The man who shot his comrade, aimed his persuader at Master Shizu. Master Shizu simply stared. The man fired. The first two shots missed. The third shot to the shoulder, and the fourth shot to the flank, were deflected by Master Shizu with his blade. Master Shizu continued to walk. With an expression of shock on his face, the man continued to pull the trigger. Click, click, click Eep! The man threw the cylinder sideways and discarded the empty cartridge. From his waist belt, he took out a bullet reloader. And then,
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Eep! Bothhishandstrembledsomuchthatthebulletswontgetin. His hands were trembling and his teeth were clacking in fear. MasterShizusfootstepscamecloser. E-eep! Aack! His frantic efforts were in vain, and the bullets fell from the reloader and scattered on the floor. Waah! The man threw away his revolver. It flew towards an empty space, and fell with a thud. Master Shizu vanished from the mansfieldofvision. The mans eyes opened curiously. Our gazes met for a moment. At the same time, blood began to gush out from the throat of the man behind him, who stood rigidly in his place, and fell. Hey Aaah! From behind, the mans right shoulder was pierced by a blade. Master Shizu started asking questions. Youguys,doyouhaveanycomrades?
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The man still stood on attention, and answered obediently. N-n-n-n-n-n-n-none! Willtherebeanorganizationlookingforyouifyouregone? None! Youpeopledonothaveanypropertrainingforbattle.How comeyouweredoingsomethinglikebanditry? B-b-b-b-because its easy. N-no, before we were farmers, but<, it was hard and painful< so we ran away from our country< Andso,youreextortingfromasmallcountry? Y-yes. L-lifeisnoteasy,youknow! <Yeah,youcansaythatagain. The man was happy upon hearing Master Shizu agree, and turned his head and glanced at him. And with a somewhat twitchy smile, he spoke. I-isntit? Master Shizu smiled gently.
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Thatwillbeover,too.MasterShizumovedhishandashe spoke. Huh?werethemanslastwords. The face with the twitchy smile rolled on the ground, still smiling. Master Shizu collected the riderless horses and tied them together. He removed his goggles and wiped his face. He took off his parka and rolled it. He looked for a place not wet with blood, and placed the parka and the goggles there. MasterShizu,Ispoke. Hmm? Goodjob. Stopit,MasterShizushookhisheadwithabittersmile. Killing people as a specialty thats not something worth praisingorsomethingtobeproudof. A considerable time passed before the residents timidly came out of their houses.
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After he was finished wiping his sword and returning it to its sheath, Master Shizu leisurely sat waiting at the plaza. Surprised screams were heard as the corpses were discovered all over the alleys. Soon, a crowd gathered in the center of the plaza, the surroundingsofwhichwas dyeddeepredwiththecorpses blood. As one would expect, there were no children. Surrounding from a distance, the people looked at Master Shizu with surprised eyes. <Mistertraveler.Youkilledthemall?Withasword?One man spoke. Master Shizu stood up. Yes A-allofthem<?Anothermanasked. With a countenance which was neither too happy nor sad, Master Shizu replied in an expressionless tone. Every single one of them. Twenty-two people. They do not have any comrades. From here on, you do not have to preparefoodforthem.Youcangobacktoyouroriginallives. When the people heard this, an expression of relief ran through their faces.
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But this only lasted for a moment. Eventually, they turned a discerning eye at Master Shizu, who seemed to have transformed completely from the previous day. I saw the men speaking in low voices. When Master Shizu realized the result of what he has done, he lightly closed his eyes for a short time. Thisistoomuch< The words of one man caused a spark. Thats right. No matter how you look at it, this is overkill. Itstoocruel,anothermansaid. But, this is<, it would have been better if they werent killed! And every single one of them, too. Dont you agree, everyone?Amanraisedhisvoice. Thepeoplesfacesbecamecold.Thatstrue,theyanswered. Everyone looked at Master Shizu from a distance with cold, sharp eyes. One man took a few steps forward. Mister traveler. Do you realize what you have just done? the man said. Youreamurderer! <<
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MasterShizuremainedsilentandlistenedtothemanswords. We,thepeopleofthiscountry,forwhateverreason,couldnt bear the thought of hurting people, much less killing them. It isevil.Wemustnotkill.AmIwrong,everyone? Voices of agreement rose from the crowd, much louder than before. Mister traveler, we are different from you. We cannot approve of using violence against people, even if its only a little. We do not recall begging you to present us with a mountainofcorpses. Thats right. I did all of this on my own accord, Master Shizu said austerely, while he gazed back at the people glaring at him. Mister traveler, we dont want people like you in our country. Please leave this country immediately. This is what all of us think, said a man who was acting as the representative of the residents. MasterShizugaveasmallnod.Iunderstand.Someone, pleasebringmemybag.Itsintheassemblyhall. Soon the bag was brought before Master Shizu.
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Master Shizu expressed his gratitude and hung his parka and goggles on the bag. With his sword still on his waist, Master Shizu carried the bag. Im truly sorryforthetrouble,butIllleave thedisposal of the corpses to you. The persuaders and the horses though, still have plenty of use. Everything belongs to you, Master Shizu said. No one said a word in reply. They all stared towards Master Shizu coldly. Thank you for letting me stay. Well then, Ill be taking my leave,MasterShizupolitelythankedthem. Lets go, Riku, Master Shizu walked and headed towards the open gates. And I followed. Master Shizu rode the buggy through the forest road. He was going slower than usual. The sunbeams streaming through the leaves flickered on the buggy. Even when I looked back, the small country beyond the trees and the valley can no longer be seen. Iaskedfromthepassengerseat,Areyoudisappointed? Master Shizu shook his head. His expression as he gripped the steering wheel was the same as always.
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That place is their country. And that was their choice. We havetohonorit,MasterShizusaid.Andthenheadded, Iwasntexpectinganythingmore.Thisisgoodenough. Theyspongedoffonyou,didntthey?Iasked. Yeah.Theyareastrongpeople,MasterShizunodded. I asked just one more question. Didyoulikethatcountry? Master Shizu smiled a little. Who knows?
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Chapter 10: "Land with a Bridge" Their Line
"Land with a Bridge" Their Line
A single motorrad (Note: A two-wheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannot fly) was running on a sandy beach. It was a motorrad loaded with traveling luggage on top and on both sides of its rear wheel. It was headed towards the north, leaving thin tire tracks on the relatively hard sand near the beach. On the left side was the expanse of the clear blue and calm ocean. On the right was a large desert, with its thousands of rippling sand dunes. It was a world of water and sand. Themotorradsdriverwaswearingablackjacketwithawide belt fastened around the waist. Suspended on her right thigh was a holster for a hand persuader (Note: A persuader is a gun. In this case, a pistol). Placed inside was a high-caliber revolver. The driver was wearing a brimmed hat with flaps covering the ears, and silver-framed goggles. It was a young person whose age was probably a little over mid-teens. Suddenly, the driver tapped the tank of the motorrad, and pointed ahead.
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At a considerable distance, a white line which looked like the shimmer of hot air can be seen floating on the blue surface. As they came closer, they realized what the line was. It was a bridge. It was a large bridge. A number of bridge piers 15 rising from the ocean were systematically lined up. White stones were put together to form arches. The width has just enough allowance for a big car to pass through it. Its height from the water surface was around the height a person can jump. The bridge rose abruptly from the desert, earnestly continuing straight towards the west, and vanished with the horizon. The motorrad arrived at the edge of the bridge. The driver got off and looked up. The driver made a little conversation with the motorrad about the place. Forsure,thisisthebridgethatwerelookingfor.Ifwecross it, we can get to the neighboring continent without having to payforaferry,thedriversaidhappily.
CausedmemuchgriefbecauseIdontknowwhatapiermeans.Herepierdoesnotreferto those extensions where shipsorboatsdock.Itreferstothearchitecturalmeaning.Pierhere means those columns which support bridges.
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On the other hand, the motorrad found it odd. Why is it that such a splendid bridge was there in a place where no one lives in? And where did the large quantities of building material of white stone came from? The traveler who told the driver about this bridge could not find anyone who could tell him the answer to these questions. Even so, it didnt matter to the driver. She added that the important thing was that the bridge exists. The motorrad agreed. The motorrad asked whether they will be able to cross by the end of the day. The driver answered frankly that it would not be possible because of the distance. She said that she was planning to camp out on top of the bridge and finish crossing it by the next day. The driver launched the motorrad and began to run on the bridge. The bridges stone paving was made of small stones put together systematically. Its surface was smoothed out and had a glassy appearance. On top of it, the motorrad continued to run comfortably. On both sides of the road, the neatly crafted stone handrails continued on. After running for a while, nothing but the ocean can be seen all around. The shining blue surface of the water was perfectly divided by the white bridge. Just ahead, the land on the other side falls and disappears with the horizon.
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As the motorrad headed west, the sound of its engine resounded noisily over the ocean. Soon, the day quietly came to an end. When the setting sun began to shine golden on the bridge and water surface, the driver stopped the motorrad. Night came, and the ocean became dark and quiet. It was as if everything in the earth was flattened, while the stars shone in the sky. The driver complained of the dazzling starlight. And on top of the bridge, she spread out the blanket, wrapped herself in it and slept. The next day. The driver woke up at dawn. The sky had a weak purple color. She performed some light exercises, and then trained with and maintained the persuader on her right thigh. She ate her breakfast of portable rations. From the cans tied on top of her bag, she took some water for herself and replenished the tank of the motorrad with fuel. The sun rose. The cloudless sky and the wave-free ocean were stained blue. The driver slapped awake the motorrad and rode towards the west once more.
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It was about noon. Stop,themotorradsuddenlyspokeinaloudvoice. The driver quickly hit the brakes. They came to a halt at the center of the ocean. I saw something, the motorrad said. The driver turned the motorrad, and rode back a little as she was told. The motorrad told the driver to look at a particular handrail they passed through earlier that day. This handrail had exactly the same shape as the rest. The driver was doubtful, and asked why. The motorrad said that some characters were carved on it. The driver got off the motorrad and examined the handrail. She took off her gloves and touched the surface with her hand. The driver confirmed that the characters were there, but it was weathered all over that the writings cannot be read anymore. The motorrad suggested that he would read instead. He would also read what the carved characters were in the previous handrails.
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The driver thought for a while. And then, she answered that since they cant waste much time, he had to read the gist of the writings. If there was nothing interesting, theyll leave right away. The motorrad agreed and read the writings on the first handrail. Wehavetofulfillourduty.Wehavetobuildabridgehere. As to why, we will leave it in the handrails. It is for that someonewhowillcrossthisbridgesomeday. The driver cut the motorrads engine right away. In a moment, the sound vanished in the area. The driver pushed the motorrad and went to the next handrail. She asked the motorrad to read all of the writings in succession. The motorrad agreed, and read the fading characters
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Welivedbythebeachontheeasternsideofthebridge.Over there were the walls of our country. As to why we started to liveinaworldofsand,abarrenland,wehaventknownfora longtime.Itdidntreallymattertous, and we lived our lives inpleasure;eatingfish,singing,anddancing. Near the country, there were a number of enormous structures we call pyramids. White stones were neatly piled up to build these structures, but as to who, when, or for what purpose they were built, we can only guess. But more than that, the structures were convenient to us. We take the stones and use them to build houses, build roads and repair the walls. One day, our comrades discovered something from the bottom of the ocean, and salvaged it. It was something like a big vault. After some difficulty in opening it, we found a lot of documents inside. We felt very disappointed because we thoughttherewassomethingvaluableinit. Butthroughthesedocuments,wecametoknowthe answer to our questions. Why are we here? What are we supposed to do? What have we been doing until now? What are we supposedtodofromnowon? Oneofthedocumentswasablueprintforabridge.Fromthe beach right before us, a beautiful arch bridge with a number of bridge piers made up of stone will be built beyond the horizon, crossing into the neighboring continent. It was a magnificent plan. The huge amount of blueprints was for the sakeofthisplan.
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In another document, two facts were specified clearly. One, enough quantities of the stone material that will be used for building the bridge shall be piled up on the beach. Another, the imprisoned criminals shall be allowed to inhabit an area nearby, and shall be made as workers for the construction of the bridge. When the bridge is completed, the sentence of all the prisoners will be erased, and they will be allowed entry to theoriginalcountry. Theanswerstothefourquestionsabovearethese:Wewere entrusted with a mission. We were to build a bridge. This fact was ignored and concealed, and we lived our lives in pleasure; eating fish, singing and dancing. And lastly There is only one thing we were asked to do. Build the bridge as instructed. All of the citizens held one opinion. The detailed blueprints are there. The necessary materials are also there. There are also a lot of people who have seen the olden days. There was no reason for us not to do it, or not to beabletodoit. If the bridge is completed, the decision of returning to the original country, or staying in this land is left to a persons own judgment. Hope budded in our hearts, that we will be able to find the place where we belong. Since we already achieved the reason why we are here, we started to build the bridge.
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Theconstructionofthebridgeprogressedslowlybutsteadily. As indicated in the blueprints, the bridge piers should be able to rise from the water, and stones that can be submerged should be used. Such stone can be found inside the pyramids. The stones will be floated to their designated location, and then holes will be opened to put them together while they are submerged. Then sand will be poured on the finished foundation to make a sturdy bridge pier. We were very happy each time we finished one pier, and we continued to gatherthestonesandextendthebridge People who are good at diving built the bridge piers in the sea. Some carried the stones from the beach. Those who have strength put together the stones. Those who are skilled polished the surface beautifully. When we have come this far, some caught fish from the top of the bridge. And others cooked them. We shared the work, shifted roles, and our everyday life continued this way. Each day we completed something,andfinditwonderful. The motorrad read up to this point, and the driver said, I see,withalookofadmiration.Shestrokedthestonepaving by her feet, tapped the handrail before her, and looked down at a bridge pier nearby. The motorrad asked whether to continue reading, or to leave now that the mystery was solved.
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The driver wondered as to why the country vanished and as to why the people who built the bridge were nowhere to be found. Was it because they all came back to the original country? She said that she wanted to know these things. The motorrad agreed to go on reading the next one Whenourchildren,whowerebornaroundthesametimeas the bridge, have started to contribute to the work on the bridge, we noticed something. As indicated in the plans, there should be enough stone material for use in the bridge. But there were only a few left. We soon understand the reason. It was because we used them in building our houses and repairing the walls. We were deeply embarrassed by our foolishness, and started to fear that the bridge will not be completed. There was only one way to solve our problem. We demolished our houses and started to use those stones instead. We wasted so much time in processing the stones that the progress of the construction slowed down. The people who lost their homes had to live with other people, and that became another problem. However regrettable it maybe,itisforthecompletionofthebridge.
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Other than demolishing the houses, we also started to use the walls. Though it appears unnecessary, we carved away the stone just in case. There were no offensive countries nearby, but without the walls, the country became covered with sand. Without the walls, we decided to build the houses on top of the bridge. And while we were living there, the bridgecontinuedtostretchout. Before we know it, the walls and the houses in the country were all gone, and the land turned back into a desert. We did not care about this, and we continued to slowly, but steadily accomplish our mission. The bridge extended. However, we were worried that someday, there will not be enough stone materialtouse.Weworriedaboutitconstantly. And at last, after all our progress, we saw something other than the horizon. In our field of view, we could see a desert in the opposite shore. Our happiness during that time is impossibletoleaveinthesewritings. We used up all of the stone material for the last part of the construction. Now, we no longer doubt the completion of our plans. There was only enough stone. One by one, we dismantled our houses, and used the stones from them. We slept on top of the bridge. The number of people whose bodieswerebrokendownincreased,butwepaidnoheed. Whenallofthestonesaregone,wewouldknowwhetherthe bridgewouldbecompletedornot.
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We completed the bridge, except for some parts. It was around the center of the bridge, where the last house was located. We began to notice when we took some stones from there to put together the bridge. Just in that place, there was no stone paving; the rough stone was exposed in a long cavity.Itwasafoolishmistake. The bridge is totally useless because of this long and large cavity. To fill this cavity and complete the bridge as indicated intheplans,weneedmorestone.Therecantbeanymore in the desert. And we definitely cannot take some stones from otherpartsofthebridge. We tried a number of experiments. We hardened the sand andmadethemintobricks.Itdidntwork.Wetriedtofillup the cavity with large quantities of sand. The people who stepped on it sank. We thought of going somewhere far to get somestones.Itwasuselesstalk. We ran out of ideas, and did nothing but regret our foolishness. There should have been enough materials from the beginning. There was no one to blame but us, for wasting them in making houses and walls. It was our fault. We could onlybeat ourselves,whilelookingatthecavity that cant be filleduprightbeforeoureyes.
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Itwasafterawhile.Theonlythingleftistofillinthiscavity. Only that and the bridge will be complete. We wanted something hard to use instead of the stone paving. We agonized and thought about it, and eventually, we found a wonderfulsolutiontoourdilemma.Ifyouthinkaboutit,its pretty simple. We had the ingredients we needed right from thestart. Among ourselves, we chose weak old people and women, and we killed them. We scraped the flesh from the corpses. We obtained large quantities of the white and hard bones. Surely this is the final ingredient needed to fill in the cavity. We readied large quantities, and lined them up without allowinggaps. The hole was filled in slowly. Next, we killed all of the children and obtained their bones. The bones of children are small and weak, and breaks once stepped on, so we made little progress. Even so, the flesh was very helpful in catching fish. Lastly,wedecidedtokillmeninturn.Thebonesofmenare large and hard. As the cavity became smaller, we became happy from the bottom of our hearts. We collected and lined up the bones from the legs and arms as well as the ribs, and filled in the gaps with smashed skulls. We were making favorableprogress.
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Andsoallofthecavitywasfilledin.Noonewasleftbutme, butitsnoproblem.Icandotherest on my own. I just have to line up the spines, and to polish the surface like what was done with the stone pavement<. Yes, we can complete the bridge, and thats the reason why I was left here. In other words The driver asked whats next after in other words. The motorrad told her that this was the last of the characters. With a look of admiration in her face, she said that even though the lastpersonswhereaboutswereunknown,hemusthavebeen here. Whatsthat?thedriverheard,asthe motorrad urged her to look at her feet. It was subtly different from the other stone pavings. The driver crouched, and upon examining it well, raised a voice of surprise and admiration. Over there, human spines were put together. The destroyed spines were lined up as if drawn in a pattern. The color was slightly different from the other parts, and thin bones were inlaid in the gaps. Furthermore, the surface had a glassy finish. The driver raised her face. The bone portion continued for a while, and then returned to the same stone pavement.
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On top of the white line amidst this blue world, the driver thought for a while. She thought about something while looking afar. Then she turned to the motorrad. She said theyre going to stay here for today. The motorrad was surprised, and asked for the reason. My three-dayrule,wastheshortreplyofthedriver. The driver fixed the puzzled motorrad firmly on its center stand. She took down the luggage from the carrier on top of the rear wheel. Right, I can relax and fish for today. I should eat fish from timetotime.Uponsayingthis,thedriverrummagedinside the boxes on both sides of the rear wheel. She took out a thread and a fish hook. Youdonthavearod,saidthemotorrad. The driver opened the big bag. A disassembly-type rifle persuader was strapped on the inside of the cover. The driver took it, connected the front and rear portions together and snapped them in place with a pin.16 She attached the thread with the fish hook and sinker on the tip of the barrel. As well asthebell. Mastersgonnacryifsheseesthis,saidthemotorrad.
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ItstherifleFlutefromVolume5Chapter4LandofHeroesNo Hero.
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Though slightly different from an appropriate bait, the driver used the portable rations, let down the thread, and sat in front of the handrails. She took off her hat and gazed leisurely at the sky. And then she slowly made a big stretch. Hey,canyoureallyfishwiththat?themotorradasked. Whoknows,thedriveranswered. In the blue ocean, there was a completely straight white bridge. It was a magnificent bridge that crosses the ocean. Over there, one motorrad was parked. Beside was a lone human, fishing with a rifle. Just a little bit away from there, there was a part where the stone pavement was slightly different from the rest. The color was subtly different and it was patterned. Looking at it from above, there was something written in big letters. Over there was the continuation of the writings: We have fulfilled our duty.
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Chapter 11: TheTowerCountryFree Lance
"The Tower Country" Free Lance
There was a traveler named Kino. Despite her young age, she was very skillful with persuaders (Note: A persuader is a gun. In this case, a pistol), and almost no one could surpass her. Kinos partner in her travels was a motorrad called Hermes (Note: A two-wheeled vehicle. Only to note that it cannot fly). His back seat was turned into a carrier, and was piled with tons of luggage. Since Kino was a traveler, she was visiting many countries. Once, Kino and Hermes saw a very high tower beyond the forest up ahead. Because it was extremely high, it could be seen even from a rather great distance and it looked like a thread hanging down from the clouds. After Kino and Hermes arrived there, they discovered a country surrounded by common walls with the brick tower in the center of it. When they entered the country, they saw a great number of people working hard beside the tower. Welcome, traveler. Please feel free to take a look around, said a citizen of this country.
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Greeting him, Kino asked gently: What a magnificent tower. If you dont mind, can you tell me how long it took to build it, and what the purpose of its constructionis? It took 230 years, but no one knew why it was built, the man said without hesitation, and then continued: Theconstruction of the tower started long ago, even before letters were created. The purpose is a matter of no consequence.Thistoweriswhatmakesourlifeworthliving. The next day Kino woke up at the crack of dawn. When the sun has risen significantly, Kino slapped the sleepyhead Hermes as usual and they went to view the tower. Since the weather was great, even the highest points of the tower were visible, though barely. Near the tower, the people were drying the earth carried by the river and were making bricks. The bricks were transported using the stairs in the center of the tower, and the tower grew higher and higher. Sometimes the bricks that were not installed properly fell down from a monstrous height, so it was quite dangerous.
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Kino was inspecting the tower very cautiously, but with great interest. Hermes, who usually makes remarks about buildings, muttered weakly: Kino, its going to fall apart. There are a lot of cracks at its foundation. It can collapse even tomorrow, if there comes a strongwind. Kinonoddedlightly,butshedidnttellanyoneaboutthis. A storm arose at night. The next day, in other words their third day in the country. While Kino was diligently eating her buffet-style breakfast at the inn, a great noise was suddenly heard from the outside. Someone screamed: Thetowerisfallingapart!Becarefulatthewestside! Kino and other people who were at the inn ran outside. They saw the tower slowly crumbling down. Its foundation became weak and broke into pieces. Unable to hold its weight, the tower collapsed completely in a while. Soon, after the roaring sound has stopped and the air has been cleared of dust, everyone saw a huge pile of bricks lying at the place where the tower stood earlier.
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The people danced atop of it, letting out screams of joy: Itfellapart!Itcrumbled! After230years! Itcollapsedinourgeneration!Iveseenitwithmyowneyes! Yahoo!Congratulations! A man spoke to Kino: Miss traveler, the tower has finally collapsed. Were so happythatwevewitnessedit. Whatareyougoingtodofromnowon?askedHermes. Themaninstantlyanswered:Well,ofcoursewearegoing to build a new one! Well try our best to build it in such way thatitstandsfor300years! Isee,saidKino. Soon the citizens of the country gathered a meeting and started a discussion. Theres no doubt we must use huge bricks to lay the foundation.Andthistimeletstrytomakethetowerslightly conical.
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We should also think of the wind. What if we polish the outer bricks? It will probably weaken the force applied to the whole tower. Letstalk abouttheschedule.Duringthenextten years we will remove the bricks, and work out its design. During the following twenty years well make the bricks for the foundation. And during thirty years after that the foundation will be complete. From that time onwards the tower will steadilygrowhigher. Kino spoke to the joyfully talking people: Wearegoingtoleavethecountrysoon.Takecare. And saluted them. The people waved their hands with a smile. Kino was about to return to the inn, when a man approached and addressed her. He seemed rather impatient. Canyoudomeafavor?!hesaid,asifclingingtoher.Kino asked what he wants. Pleasetakemewithyou!saidtheman. Kino asked him why, and the man replied: Imfedupwiththiscountry.Tobuildatowerjusttoseeit collapse at some point itsabsurd.
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<< Miss traveler, perhaps you also think that our country is really strange and that we are mad. Please tell me frankly whatyouthink! Kino answered honestly: Ihavenoidea.Idontknowifitseveryonewhoismador justyou. The man made a tearful face and asked Kino: I beg you, take me with you. I dont want to live in this country.Helpme! Kinosaidthatitwasntpossible.Themantriedtoforcefully persuadeher.Hesaidthatifshedoesntwanttogetapainful experience, then But Kino interrupted and said that in this case they both would be in trouble, and showed him a persuader under her coat. The man flopped down and burst into tears. Im fed up with such a life<. Theres no freedom in this country. If you are against the construction of the tower, then, being a traitor, youll become a human pillar17. What am I supposedtodo<
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Kino asked Hermes what human pillar means. He explaineditsimply,andKinosaid,Isee. The man continued to shed tears: Idontwanttobuildthistowermywholelife.Idliketodo somethingdifferentthan that.Buttheresnofreedominthis country.Iwantliberty. KinoglancedatHermesandthenwhisperedtothemansear: Ifyoudontwanttobuildthetower,justdosomethingelse; for example you can make carvings on the bricks. In that case youllbeabletomakeagreatnumber of magnificent bricks, whatdoyouthink? ! The man suddenly raised up his face. His eyes, a moment ago full of tears, opened wide. Of course! Its fun! I like it! Ill do this from now on! I can freelycarvedifferentpatternsonthebricks! The man stood up and while joyfully hopping, rushed to the other people.
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Please listen! From now on Ill be making carvings on the bricks! One by one, theyll become really beautiful decorations! The people said unanimously: Whoa!Brilliantidea! Iagree!Wecanuseittodecoratethestairs,forexample!Itll besowonderful! Alright,people!Letsentrustthistohim! The man smiled awkwardly. Kino and Hermes left this place and returned to the inn. They loaded their luggage and left the country. Kinos journey is far from over, but this story ends here.
239
240

Epilogue: "Amidst a Crimson Seaa" Blooming Prairiea
The country was a ruin. The stone wall has completely crumbled all over the place, unable to perform its purpose. The doors for closing the gates lay collapsed on the ground. Not a single building remained intact. Either the windows were broken, the ceilings collapsed or the walls fragmented. Some houses were burned, others crushed by a tower which toppled on its side. The roads were buried in piles of brick rubble from ruined buildings. Under the clear sky, the ruins stood on silently. Hermes was parked on his center stand near the west gate where there was less debris. Not a single living person could be seen all around. Before long, Hermes muttered to himself, Soboring.
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The sound of footsteps among the ruins was heard. It was Kino returning to Hermes. Kino was wearing a brown coat and covered from head to toe in dust. She returned Canon, which she held in her right hand, to its holster. Howwasit,Kino?Hermesasked. Notasinglepersoninsight,justboneshereandthere.Most ofthemmusthavebeenburiedunderneaththerubble,Kino answered coldly as she brushed away the dust off her clothes. What was the cause? Earthquake? Tornado? What do you think? Noidea,KinorepliedsimplyandclimbedonHermes. No use stopping here, we wont be coming back a second time,either. Sure. Kino started the engine. Its loud rumble echoed throughout the ruins. Kino gave the ruins one last look as she put on her hat and goggles. <<
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Then she launched Hermes, rode through the deserted road, and went past the gates. IsayKino,Hermesbegan. Hmm? Whatarewegonnadonext? Well<Kinothoughtforawhile. They were riding up a large hill at that time, and when they reached its top, Howaboutasong?Kinoreplied. A crimson world spread before their eyes. Deep red flowers carpeted the ground from beyond the hill up to the edge of the horizon. Kino charged Hermes into the bed of flowers; red petals were thrown into the air. Without any warning, Kino turned off the engine. Wh...what?! Kino ignored the surprised shout from Hermes and let him fall sideways to the ground; she landed onto the bed of flowers, face up. A countless number of deep red petals scattered about.
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Hermes spoke in jest. How mean. Who could have done sucharudething? Ahaha! Kino laughed gleefully, and took a deep breath while looking at the sky. And then she started to sing.
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Afterward Preface
Afterward Preface18
Hello everyone. Thank you for reading this far. As always, this is the author, Keiichi Sigsawa. Kino no Tabi has finally reached its fourth volume. This is all thanks to the readers. Why, thank you very much for your support! 19 Because of a sudden turnofevents,eventhisauthordoesnt know what will happen next (laughs). This time, I was considering an idea of making Kinos last journey to be that into space. At the onset, it will be revealed that the real enemies are the Four Great Demons of the Universe.Inthefinalbattle,acanopenerwillaccomplishan important role, and the hot bath in the third chapter will serve as foreshadowing. I was quite satisfied when I wrote it down. Even though I really planned this out since the third volume, makingKinoscharactermoresolidseemedagoodidea,and it turned out that the first appearance would be here!
Normally,thetitleshouldbeatogaki,whichmeansafterword.Howeverthisoneisentitled atogasa,whichsoundstomelikeWhathappenedafteris<,hencethistitle. As a side note, atogaki and atogasa are identical except for their last characters, and moreover, the hiragana charactersforkiandsaareverysimilar. 19 Specifically,theauthorsaidkanshakangekiamearare,whichmeanssomethinglike, gratitudeandappreciationraininglikehail.Afterdiggingforabit,Ireadsomewherethatthis wasapunonaphraseusedintimesofwar,ransharangekiamearare,literally,bulletsbeing firedblindlylikerainandhail.
18
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Afterward Preface
I wanted to make Hermes transform into a green spaceship by the end of volume two, but I changed my mind. The plan is crazy in some places so I will just develop what will happen next based on my gut feel (laughs). I think it would be surprising if I reveal that Riku is actually a spy of the enemy and have Shizu kidnapped using chloroform.Shizusswordwillbreakintofivepieces,andas to what Shizu would do then< Even the author doesnt know the answer to that (laughs). But I havent decided yet (laughs again). Buttheresonethingforsure.Therealfighthasjustbegunto determineKinoandShizusfuture.Theresmoretocome. To defeat one of the Four Great Demons of the Universe, Kino and company will have to obtain the legendary persuader, Big Cannon ~Shining Iron Demon Destroyer~20, which even Master cannot get her hands on. Then they will be heading towards the outskirts of the universe. From here on, the main plot will deal with the mystery to surpass the demons territory Void, a human story in a planet they will pass by, and a series of thrilling battles with theenemysspecialforces,TheForty-Five Color Dark Army.
20
Translation borrowed straight from Untuned-Strings' Gakuen Kino translation.
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Afterward Preface
Oh, right. In the final chapter, when they come out twice the astronauticalspeed,Kinowillsay,Buteyedropsarebitter. Thiswillbeabig,bighintonwhatwillhappennext.Ah,Ive written it down (laughs). In a side story, Master will reappear in a dining room scene, where she would be having a fierce argument with Shizu. I loved this stylish dialogue to such an extent that I wrote a whole chapter without a single narrative. But the editor said, Its too long, and I reluctantly cut out someofthedialogue(cries<).Someday,ifIgetthechance,I would like to explain in detail why Shizu was fixated on grilling using charcoal fire. Wellfromhere on,thenextthree volumesorsoofKinono Tabi will be focusing on the main battle, though the development will be fairly hard. The second part will be tasteful; with Kino becoming involved in malicious stock trading after arriving at a certain planet. How will Kino be able to recover after she loses all of her money as well as Hermes? I believe this will be Dengeki Bunkos first stock trading drama. Twenty volumes are slated for the second part. And with a sudden turn of events, in the third part, Kino will end up as a student in a certain planet, and will get involved with troublesome situations 21 . The enemy here will be< *drumming noise*< one of her classmates. The one who would play a particularly important role is the mysterious student council president who would take over the school.
21
So this is the joke that gave birth to the spin-offseries,GakuenKino<^_^
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Afterward Preface
And then, there will be the reappearance of< oops, Im not going to tell (laughs). Perhaps, everyones booing me right now (grins). TheresstillmoreinstoreforKinonoTabi.Thecurrentplot will end in 34 issues, but there are plans to extend it up to volume 454. I think we will have quite a long partnership, so from here on, Ill work even harder in writing. Please continue your support!
Summer, 2001
Keiichi Sigsawa
248

Credits
Kino no Tabi Volume 4 the Beautiful World
Story Illustrations Translators
Keiichi Sigsawa Kouhaku Kuroboshi Dammitt Ella Quincy
Editors
BloodyKitty User753
Project Hosted at www.baka-tsuki.org

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Kino no Tabi Volume 4

Prologue:AmidstaCrimsonSeab Blooming Prairieb

Kino no Tabi Volume 4

Kino no Tabi Volume 4

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Literally,lookingateachother.Youcanthinkofitastheequivalentofmatchmakingor arranged marriages in Japanese culture.

Kino no Tabi Volume 4

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